- 


••      : 

: 

I 


m 


I 


PHOTO'C.    er    , 


CONTAINING 


A  SERIES  OF  SKETCHES 


RELATING   TO 


EVENTS  THAT  OCCURRED  PREVIOUS  TO  1813; 


NARRATIVES  OP  MANY  THRILLING  INCIDENTS  CONNECTED  WITH 
THE  EARLY  SETTLEMENT  OP  THE  WEST, 


DRAWN   FROM 


HISTORY,  TRADITION  AND  PERSONAL  REMINISCENCES. 


BY  N.  MATSON, 

AUTHOR  or  "BEYOND  THE  ATLANTIC,"  "REMINISCENCES  OF  BUREAU 

COUNTY,"  "  FRENCH  AND  INDIANS  OP  ILLINOIS  RIVER," 

"MEMORIES  OF  SHAUBENA,"  ETC. 


CHICAGO: 
KNIGHT  &  LEONARD,  PRINTERS. 

1882. 


COPYRIGHT,  1882. 
BY   N.  MATSON. 


<?77.3 


PEEFAOE. 


presenting  these   pages   to  the   public   it  be- 
comes  necessary  to  make  a  few  plain  statements 
in    order  that  the  reader  may  understand  the  pur- 
"  poses  of  the  writer.      The  object  of  collecting  the 
r  early  traditions  of  the  country  has  been  for  the  pur- 
«•   pose  of  supplying  the  many  missing  links  in  history, 
and  also  to  correct  some  of  its  errors.       To  gather 
these  materials  has  been  attended  with  much  labor, 
the   work  of  more   than   forty  years,  and   various 
^*  means  of  obtaining  facts  have  been  resorted  to.     In 
I  these  researches  many  new  items  have  been  devel- 
^  oped,  errors  in  history  corrected,  but  the  work  of 
-3  harmonizing  all  'conflicting  statements  has  not  been 
L  an  entire  success. 

While  the  Indians  were  still  in  the  country  I  had 

^frequent  interviews  with  them,  and  listened  to  their 

~  accounts  of  events  which  had  come  down  through 

many  generations.     In  order  to  obtain  more  of  their 

^  early  history  I  employed  an  educated  half-breed  of 

/'  western  Kansas  to  collect  traditions  among  his  peo- 

^-  pie,   especially  of  those  whose   ancestors  formerly 

_^  lived  along  the  Illinois  River. 

At    different  times  I  visited  the  descendants  of 
the  early  French  pioneers  now  living  on  the  Ameri- 

11 


12  PREFACE. 

can  Bottom,  and  heard  their  stories  of  past  events 
which  had  come  down  through  the  third  and  fourth 
generations.  I  also  visited  places  of  early  historical 
renown,  at  some  of  which  relics  of  the  past  can  still 
be  seen,  and  the  descriptions  herein  given  of  these 
localities  are  drawn  from  personal  observations. 
Many  of  the  incidents  narrated  in  this  book  were 
obtained  from  persons  who  figured  in  them,  and 
every  statement  not  well  authenticated  has  been  ex- 
cluded from  these  pages. 

An  account  of  the  early  French  exploration  of 
Illinois  has  been  given  in  almost  every  county  his- 
tory in  the  state,  consequently  I  would  like  to  omit 
this  part  entirely,  but  it  cannot  be  done  without 
doing  injustice  to  the  work.  Therefore  in  giving 
a  short  sketch  of  these  events,  compiled  from  his- 
tory, I  have  added  some  of  the  French  and  Indian 
traditions  relating  thereto.  These  items  have  been 
collected  at  different  times  from  various  sources, 
compared  and  revised  with  much  care,  and  for  the 
first  time  given  to  the  public. 

A  few  years  ago  I  published  two  editions  of  a 
book  entitled  "French  and  Indians  of  Illinois 
River,"  relating  to  the  same  subject  as  this,  and 
many  of  the  incidents  given  in  that  volume  have 
been  revised,  corrected,  and  inserted  in  this  one. 

N.  M. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ANTIQUITIES    OF    ILLINOIS. 

The  Mammoth  and  the  Mastodon. — Topography 
of  Illinois  River. —  Illinois  Indians. —  Massa- 
cre of  Indians. —  Raid  of  the  Iroquois.  -  17 

CHAPTER  II. 

Father  Marquette. —  Discovery  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River. —  The  Yoyageurs  at  La  Vantum.  28 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  cross  raised  on  the  bank  of  Chicago  River. 
—  Mission    of    Immaculate     Conception.— 
Death  of  Marquette. —  Resurrecting  of  Mar- 
quette's  bones.       -  -     38 

.  CHAPTER  IV. 

La  Vantum,  or  great  Illinois  town. —  The  great 
Western  explorer. —  La  Salle  and  friends 
western  bound. —  French  at  Peoria  Lake. — 
Fort  Creve-Co3ur.  -  48 

CHAPTER  V. 

La  Salle  in  the  Indian  camp. —  Henri  de  Tonti. 

—  The  French  at  La  Vantum. —  Reception 

of  evil  tidings. —  Battle  and  Massacre.          -     59 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Torturing  prisoners. —  Death  of  Father  Gabriel. 

—  A  Scene  of  Horror. —  Starved  Rock.         -     72- 

13 


14  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Building  of  Fort  St.  Louis. —  Trade  with  the 
Indians.— La  Salle's  success,  failure  and 
death. — Fort  St.  Louis  attacked  by  Iroquois. 
—  Return  of  Tonti's  victorious  army.  -  83 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

La    Fort  des  Miainis. —  The   last  of  Tonti. — 
Fort  St.  Louis  burned  and  colony  broken  up. 
Chassagoac,    an   Indian  Chief. —  Louisiana 
Colony. —  French  settlement  around  Fort  St. 
Louis.  -     93 

CHAPTER   IX. 

Jesuit  Missionary  of  the  West. —  Father  Senat 
and  comrades  burned  at  the  stake. —  Early 
French  settlement  of  Illinois. — Early  settle- 
ment of  St.  Louis. —  British  rule  in  Illinois.  107 

CHAPTER  X. 

Tom  Brady's  wild  adventure. —  Two  expedi- 
tions against  St.  Joseph  and  one  against 
Detroit. —  Pat  Kennedy  and  comrades  in 
search  of  copper  mines.  -  11  £ 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Colonel  Clark's  conquest  of  Illinois.  -  127 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Pontiac. —  An  error  in  history. —  Massacre  of 
a  hunting  party.  —  The  Ottawas  ordered  out 
of  the  country. —  The  Indian  council.—  Pon- 
tiac assassinated.— A  war  of  extermination.  137 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Rock  of  refuge* —  The  besiegers  and  besieged. 
-—Various  traditionary  evidence. —  A  ghastly 
spectacle.  -  -  153 


CONTENTS.  15 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Relics  of  the  tragedy.  —  Searching  for  gold. — 
Fort  St.  Louis. —  Rock  Fort  and  Le  Rocher. 
—  Relics  of  Fort  St.  Louis. —  Indians  and 
French  relics. — Father  Buche's  manuscript.  166 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Fort  Massac. —  American  Bottom. —  Prairie  du 
Rocher. —  Cahokia.  — Kaskaskia. —  Kaskas- 
kia  and  Cahokia  Indians. —  Peoria  Indians.  180 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Indian  tribes  in  Illinois  territory. —  Monks  of 
La  Trappe. —  Old  fort  near  Starved  'Rock. — 
The  ruined  city  of  Aztalan. —  Ancient  forti- 
fication of  Marseilles. —  The  ruined  fort  on 
Fox  River. — Medore  Jennette,  a  fur  trader.  193 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

English  and  French    relations  with  Indians. — 
American  Pioneers  of  Illinois. —  Early  gov- 
ernment    of     Illinois. —  Disappearing      of 
buffalo. —  Early  history  of  Chicago. —  Jean 
Baptiste  and  Father  Bonner.  -  205 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Early  settlement  at  Peoria.  —  La  ville  de  Millet. 
French  inhabitants  of  Peoria. — French  cos- 
tumes and  manners. —  French  land  claims.  -  115 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Pierre  De  Beuro,  an  Indian  trader. — Tecumseh 
at  Peoria. —  Indian  depredations. —  Indian 
council  at  Cahokia. —  Illinois  territory  at 
the  time  of  the  British  war. —  A  false  report 
circulated. 229 


16  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Black  Partridge,  a  noted  Indian  chief. — Indians 
receiving  the  first  tidings  of  war. —  Mrs. 
Helm's  life  saved  by  Black  Partridge. — 
Emissaries  from  Tecumseh. — Unjust  retribu- 
tion. -  -  2i'J 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Lieutenant  Helm  ransomed  by  Black  Partridge. 
— Mrs.  Basson's  narrative.— The  French  at 
Peoria  regarded  as  enemies. —  Captain 
Craig's  account  of  his  attack  on  Peoria. — 
Burning  of  Peoria. —  Domestic  animal's  left 
by  the  captives.  -  -  254: 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Indian  raid  on  the  settlement. —  Captivity  of 
Amanda  Wolsey. —  General  Howard's  expe- 
dition against  the  Indians. —  Black  Partridge 
with  his  braves  in  defense  of  their  country, 
—  Colonel  Davenport's  account  of  the  block 
house.  -  274- 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Building  of  Fort  Clark — Indians  collect  on 
Bureau. — Lieutenant  Robenson  in  search  of 
the.  enemy. —  Treaty  of  peace.  -  -284 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Descendants  of  the  French  settlers  at  Peoria. — 
Perils  of  fur  traders. —  Burning  of  Fort 
Clark. 293 


CHAPTER  I. 

ANTIQUITIES  OF  ILLINOIS. 

ARTIFICIAL  mounds  are  found  everywhere 
_X7\_  throughout  the  western  country,  but  are  more 
numerous  along  the  Illinois  River  and  its  tributaries. 
These  mounds  vary  in  size,  shape  and  general  forma- 
tion. Some  of  them  are  only  small  elevations,  called 
sepulchral  mounds,  in  which  are  found  human  bones 
and  different  kinds  of  trinkets.  Others  are  of  various 
forms,'  representing  the  figure  of  a  man,  birds,  ani- 
mals, turtles,  alligators,  etc.  Some  of  these  mounds, 
from  appearance,  were  intended  for  fortifications, 
others  for  sacramental  purposes,  and  many  of  them 
the  object  for  which  they  were  constructed  cannot 
be  determined. 

Mounds  and  earthworks  are  generally  found  near 
the  present  center  of  wealth  and  activity,  showing 
that  the  ancient  race  understood  the  advantage  of 
locality  as  well  as  people  of  the  present  day  do.  These 
mounds  are  only  found  where  the  soil  is  rich,  the 
scenery  fine,  and  near  large  streams  of  water,  but 
never  appear  in  a  poor,  barren  country.  The 


18  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

mounds  found  throughout  the  west  have  been  clas- 
sified as  fortifications,  temples,  altars,  sepulchers, 
signal  stations  and  symbolic  figures. 

Some  of  the  small  mounds  may  have  been  the 
work  of  Indians,  and  of  comparative  recent  date,  but 
the  large  ones  undoubtedly  belong  to  the  prehistoric 
age,  and  built  by  people  who  have  long  since  passed 
away.  Among  the  largest  of  this  class  of  mounds 
is  Mount  Monk,  on  the  American  Bottom,  and  Mount 
Joliet,  on  the  Des  Plaines  River,  near  the  city  of 
Joliet.  The  former  at  the  base  is  eight  hundred 
ya?rds  in  circumference  and  ninety  feet  high.  The 
latter  nearly  one  mile  in  circumference  and  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  high,  rising  like  a  great  pyramid  in 
the  midst  of  a  plain.  Some  people.believe  these  large 
mounds  were  formed  by  some  freak  of  nature,  there- 
lore  the  subject  of  their  formation  belongs  to  geology 
rather  than  history.  Others  regard  the  mound  build- 
ers as  a  myth,  the  offspring  of  fanatical  antiquists 
claiming  that  nature  and  Indians  did  these  works. 
But  these  skeptics  are  not  posted  in  relation  to  the 
many  thousand  works  of  this  kind  found  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  which  it  must  be  admitted  have 
been  made  by  human  hands,  and  could  not  have  been 
the  work  of  Indians.  Who  built  these  mounds,  at 
what  time,  and  for  what  purpose,  opens  a  field  of 
wild  speculation.  On  this  subject  men  of  science 


ANTIQUITIES    OF    ILLINOIS.  19 

have  advanced  many  curious  opinions  without  estab- 
lishing any  reliable  facts. 

There  are  many  speculative  theories  advanced  re- 
lating to  the  ancient  people  who  at  one  time  in- 
habited this  country,  but  this  mystery  is  buried  in 
the  unknown  past,  where  in  all  probability  it  will 
forever  remain.  Who  these  people  were,  from 
whence  they  came,  and  what  became  of  them,  are 
questions  often  asked,  but  never  satisfactorily  an- 
swered. In  the  absence  of  any  knowledge  of  these 
people,  and  for  the  want  of  a  better  and  more  appro- 
priate name,  they  are  called  Mound  Builders.  The 
cities  built  and  temples  erected  by  these  people  (if 
any)  have  long  since  disappeared,  and  the  marvels 
alone  remain  to  tell  the  story  of  the  past.  Unlike 
the  ancient  Egyptians  they  have  left  no  monumental 
obelisks  covered  with  hieroglyphics,  nor  a  rosetta 
stone,  as  a  key  to  the  mysteries  of  past  ages. 

A  great  deal  of  nonsense,  under  the  name  of 
science,  has  been  written  by  late  antiquarians  in  re- 
lation to  mounds  and  mound  builders  without  throw- 
ing any  light  on  the  subject. 

Some  remarkable  facts  relating  to  antiquities  in 
this  section  of  the  country  will  be  found  in  another 
part  of  this  book  under  the  head  of  ancient  fortifica- 
tions and  ruined  cities. 


20  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

THE  MAMMOTH  AND  THE  MASTODON. 

At  one  time  the  gigantic  mammoth  and  masto- 
don roamed  at  large  over  the  prairies  of  Illinois, 
and  left  their  bones  in  many  places,  sunk  deep  in 
the  marshes.  At  what  time  these  monsters  inhab- 
ited this  country,  what  their  form,  movements,  and 
habits  were,  the  time  and  cause  of  disappearance, 
will  in  all  probability  forever  remain  a  mystery. 
Skeletons  of  different  species  of  these  animals  have 
been  exhumed  from  swamps  and  marshes  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation,  and  now  adorn  the  museums 
of  this  country.  Many  facts  have  been  collected 
which  leave  no  doubt  that  people  lived  in  this 
country  when  these  animals  roamed  at  large.  In 
exhuming  the  bones  of  one  of  these  monsters  some 
years  ago  near  Beardstown,  an  arrow-head  and  a 
broken  point  of  a  copper  spear  were  found  among 
the  bones,  showing  that  the  beast  came  to  its  death 
by  the  hand  of  man.  Dr.  Koch,  who  has  supplied 
foreign  museums  with  skeletons  of  mastodons  from 
this  western  country,  says  :  In  exhuming  the  bones 
of  one  of  these  animals  from  a  marsh  where  it  had 
mired  the  skeleton  was  found,  standing  erect.  A 
fire  had  been  kindled  against  it,  and  ashes,  pieces  of 
charred  wood,  with  arrow-heads,  stone  axes  and 
other  weapons,  were  found  among  the  bones,  showing 


THE    MAMMOTH    AND    THE    MASTODON.  21 

conclusively  in  what  way  the  beast  came  to  its 
death. 

In  1773  James  Douglass,  the  first  white  man 
that  visited  Big  Bone  Lick,  in  Kentucky,  found  a 
large  number  of  mammoth  bones  lying  on  top  of 
the  ground  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  Some 
of.  the  rib  bones  he  set  upright,  and  spread  a 
blanket  on  them,  forming  a  tent  to  shelter  him  from 
rain  and  sun. 

According  to  tradition,  at  the  time  of  the  early 
French  exploration  of  this  country  many  large 
bones  were  found  at  a  lick  a  short  distance  from 
Peoria  Lake,  and  among  them  were  two  tusks  ten 
feet  in  length.  In  the  early  settlement  of  this 
country  large  bones  were  occasionally  found  on  top 
of  the  ground  which  could  not  have  belonged  to 
any  animal  known  at  the  present  time.  As  a  rule 
bones  on  top  of  the  ground  will  last  only  about 
fifty  years,  but  instances  are  on  record  where  they 
have  remained  sound  after  lying  for  many  ages. 

Bones  of  the  mammoth  and  mastodon  are  found 
everywhere  on  this  continent,  but  in  greater  num- 
bers in  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi,  but  neither 
history  nor  tradition  has  left  any  account  of  them 
in  a  living  state.  These  animals,  judging  from 
their  bones,  must  have  been  of  an  enormous  size ; 
the  elephant  of  the  present  time  in  comparison  to 


22  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

them  would  be  a  mere  pigmy.  The  skeleton  of  one 
of  these,  now  in  the  museum  of  the  University  at 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  is  sixteen  feet  high,  twenty-six 
feet  in  length,  with  tusk  fourteen  feet  long,  and  at 
the  base  one  foot  in  diameter. 

In  the  spring  of  1881  the  bones  of  one  of  these 
monsters  were  found  embedded  in  a  slough  two  miles 
northeast  of  Princeton.  Although  the  bones  were 
much  decayed,  and  not  enough  of  them  remained  to 
form  a  skeleton,  it  is  believed  the  animal  to  have 
been  about  fifteen  feet  high,  and  twenty-two  feet  in 
length. 

TOPOGRAPHY  OP  THE  ILLINOIS  RIVER. 

From  the  junction  of  the  Kankakee  with  Des 
Plaines  to  the  mouth  of  Illinois  River,  exclusive  of 
windings,  is  two  hundred  and  sixty  miles,  two  hun- 
dred and  ten  miles  of  which  is  navigable  for  steam- 
boats. The  Illinois  is  a  sluggish  stream;  in  two 
hundred  miles  it  has  only  twenty-eight  feet  fall, 
about  the  amount  of  fall  necessary  for  canal  naviga- 
tion, and  when  the  Mississippi  is  high  it  backs  up 
the  Illinois  River  seventy-two  miles.  The  river  bot- 
tom is  from  one  to  two  miles  wide,  but  at  Beards- 
town  it  is  twelve  miles  between  the  bluffs.  The  bot- 
tom lands  are  about  equally  divided  between  timber 
and  prairie.  The  soil  very  rich,  but  much  of  it  sub- 
ject to  inundation.  The  bluffs  are  from  one  to  two 


TOPOGRAPHY    OF   THE    ILLINOIS    RIVER.        23 

hundred  feet  high,  and  mostly  covered  with  timber. 
At  Starved  Rock,  and  also  at  Marseilles,  are  exten- 
sive rapids,  with  a  wide,  shallow  channel  inter- 
spersed with  many  beautiful  wood-clad  islands. 

The  scenery  along  the  Illinois  River  is  very  beau- 
tiful; the  broad  stream  dotted  here  and  there  with 
islands  has  attracted  the  attention  and  received  the 
admiration  of  both  savage  and  civilized  people.  The 
river  banks  are  made  attractive  by  alternate  timber 
and  prairie,  and  passes  through  a  fertile  country, 
which  in  former  times  abounded  in  game.  For  the 
possession  of  this  country,  according  to  tradition,  has 
caused  many  a  hard-fought  battle,  between  savage 
tribes,  and  the  bones  of  the  victors  as  well  as  the 
vanquished  have  been  left  to  decay  on  its  banks. 

On  the  bank  of  the  Illinois  River  the  French 
established  the  first  cariony  in  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
and  here  a  nucleus  was  formed  for  settling  the  Great 
West.  In  former  times  its  placid  waters  were  navi- 
gated only  by  the  bark  canoes  of  savages,  after 
which  the  little  bateaux  of  the  French  were  seen  on 
its  waters  for  about  one  hundred  and  forty  years. 
These  crafts,  loaded  with  furs,  and  sails  spread  to  the 
breeze,  passed  up  the  river  from  French  villages, 
coasting  along  the  lakes  to  Canada,  and  return  with 
goods  for  the  Indian  market.  At  a  later  period  the 
Mackinaw  boat  of  the  American  Fur  Company  took 


24  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

the  place  of  French  bateaux.  Following  in  the 
wake  of  these  crafts  came  the  sluggish  keel  boat, 
loaded  with  emigrants,  which  in  their  turn  disap 
peared  on  the  introduction  of  steam  navigation. 

ILLINOIS  INDIANS. 

The  Illinois  Indians  were  of  the  Algonquin  fam- 
ily, and  consisted  of  five  bands  or  semi-tribes,  named 
as  follows  :  Kaskaskias,  Cahokias,  Peorias,  Tam- 
aroas  and  Michigamies.  The  three  former  bands 
occupied  villages  bearing  their  respective  names, 
and  the  two  latter  the  country  north  of  Peoria  Lake. 
According  to  the  statement  of  early  French  ex- 
plorers, these  Indians  were  the  most  numerous  of  all 
the  tribes  of  the  west,  occupying  almost  the  entire 
territory  now  included  within  the  State  of  Illinois. 
Along  the  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers,  from  the 
mouth  of  Ohio  to  Lake  Michigan,  their  villages  were 
found  at  short  intervals,  and  the  vast  country  east 
and  west  of  these  rivers  was  their  hunting-grounds. 
Over  this  country  herds  of  buffalo,  elk  and  deer 
roamed  for  their  benefit,  and  the  many  rivers  were 
navigated  only  by  their  bark  canoes.  From  the 
many  groves  the  smoke  from  their  camp-fires  was 
seen  to  ascend,  and  the  lonely  forest  reechoed  their 
wild  war  whoops.  These  Indians  had  many  towns 
on  the  Illinois  River,  the  largest  and  most  important 


MASSACRE   OF   INDIANS.  25 

one,  called  La  Yantum,  located  near  the  present 
site  of  Utica,  an  account  of  which  will  be  given  in 
the  succeeding  chapter. 

On  account  of  abundance  of  game  (Illinois  being 
known  as  the  buffalo  country),  neighboring  tribes 
frequently  made  this  their  hunting-ground,  and  al- 
though the  Illinois  Indians  were  not  a  warlike 
people,  still  they  would  resent  an  encroachment  on 
their  rights,  consequently  many  bloody  battles  were 
fought  with  the  aggressors. 

More  than  a  century  ago  the  northern  bands  of 
the  Illinois  Indians  became  extinct,  therefore  most 
of  their  traditions  are  lost,  still  there  are  some  things 
relating  to  them  preserved  by  the  French  pioneers 
which  are  related  by  their  descendants  now  living 
on  the  American  Bottom. 

MASSACRE  OF  INDIANS. 

According  to  tradition,  there  was  a  large  Indian 
village  on  the  east  side  of  the  Illinois  River,  a  short 
distance  above  the  head  of  Peoria  Lake.  Near  this 
village,  on  the  bank  of  the  river  and  partly  sur- 
rounded by  a  bayou,  was  a  place  where  the  Indians 
held  their  annual  religious  feasts.  On  this  ground 
was  erected  an  altar,  containing  images  of  the  differ- 
ent gods,  and  around  which  the  Indians  knelt  in 
prayer  while  offering  up  sacrifices.  At  one  of  these 
feasts  all  the  warriors  of  the  village  and  many  from 


26  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

neighboring  ones  were  collected  here  engaged  in 
religious  exercises,  while  squaws  and  papooses  stood 
looking  on,  and  mingling  their  voices  in  songs  of 
praise.  The  warriors,  dispossessed  of  their  arms, 
were  engaged  in  devotion,  the  priests  exhorting  them 
in  the  ways  of  holiness,  and  receiving  their  annual 
offerings.  While  thus  engaged  they  were  suddenly 
attacked  by  a  large  body  of  Pottawatomies  and  most 
of  them  slain.  Being  taken  by  surprise,  and  un- 
armed, defense  or  escape  appeared  impossible,  and 
many  a  brave  warrior  'sang  his  death  song  and  sub- 
mitted to  his  fate.  A  few  escaped  by  swimming  the 
river,  but  the  most  of  them,  including  squaws  and 
papooses,  fell  an  easy  prey  to  the  victorious  enemy. 

The  victors  collected  all  the  valuables  of  the  van- 
quished, including  arms,  clothing,  camp  equipage, 
furs,  pelts,  etc.,  loading  them  on  ponies,  and  with 
their  spoils  left  for  their  homes 'on  the  Wabash. 

The  date  of  this  tragical  affair  is  not  known,  but 
it  was  before  the  advent  of  the  French,  or  the  r&ids 
on  these  Indians  by  the  Iroquois.  For  some  time 
after  the  French  came  to  this  country  the  ground 
where  this  massacre  took  place  was  strewn  with 
human  bones. 

RAID  OF  THE  IROQUOIS. 

The  Iroquois  Indians  from  the  east  made  fre- 
quent raids  on  the  Illinoisans,  destroying  their  towns, 


RAID    OF    THE    IROQUOIS.  27 

killing  squaws  and  papooses,  and  carrying  away 
large  quantities  of  pelts,  furs,  etc.,  which  they  sold 
to  English  traders.  According  to  tradition,  in  one  of 
those  raids  they  carried  off  eight  hundred  prisoners, 
mostly  squaws  and  papooses,  and  burned  them  at 
their  village  on  the  bank  of  Seneca  Lake.  The  Iro- 
quois,  having  been  in  trade  with  the  English  at 
Albany,  had  armed  themselves  with  rifles,  which  gave 
them  great  advantage  over  the  Illinoisans,  who  used 
bows  and  arrows  only.  These  frequent  raids  of  the 
Iroquois  were  for  spoil  only,  and  not  for  conquest, 
as  they  made  no  effort  to  take  possession  of  the  coun- 
try. The  Illinoisans  were  rich  in  ponies,  furs,  pelts, 
trinkets,  etc.,  and  the  robbers  would  return  loaded 
with  spoil,  and  at  one  time  they  brought  back  three 
hundred  ponies  loaded  with  valuables.  It  is  said  the 
traders  at  Albany  encouraged  these  robberies  by 
furnishing  the  Iroquois  with  war  implements,  and 
buying  the  stolen  goods. 

On  account  of  the  frequent  raids  on  the  Illinoisans 
they  became  reduced  in  numbers,  which  caused  them 
to  fall  an  easy  prey  to  the  neighboring  tribes  some 
years  afterward.  A  little  over  a  century  ago  a  num- 
ber of  tribes  combined,  forming  an  alliance  against 
the  Illinois  Indians,  which  resulted  in  their  annihila- 
tion, and  the  occupation  of  the  country  by  the  vic- 
tors, as  will  be  shown  in  the  sequel. 


CHAPTER  II. 

FATHER  MARQUETTE. 

A  FEW  years  ago,  while  passing  through  the 
Vatican  at  Rome,  my  attention  was  called  to 
a  department  entitled  ' '  Portraits  of  North  Ameri- 
can Jesuits."  On  entering  this  department  I  noticed 
a  life-sized  portrait  of  a  man  in  the  garb  of  a  priest, 
with  an  open  bible  in  his  hands  and  a  gold  cross  on 
his  breast.  This  portrait  represented  a  man  in  the 
prime  of  life,  tall  and  well  proportioned,  with  hand- 
some moulded  features,  and  a  countenance  beaming 
with  intelligence.  Below  this  picture  was  a  motto 
in  Latin,  and  also  the  name  of  Father  Jacques  Mar- 
quette,  a  Jesuit  priest  of  North  America. 

Marquette  was  born  at  Leon,  in  the  north  part  of 
France,  of  a  wealthy  and  distinguished  family.  He 
was  of  fine  personal  appearance,  a  strong  intellect, 
well  educated,  and,  while  young,  became  a  magnet 
in  his  native  city.  At  a  proper  age  he  was  ordained 
a  priest,  and  being  enthusiastic  about  the  conversion 
of  heathens  he  sailed  for  America,  forsaking  home, 
friends  and  wealth  to  spend  a  life  among  savages  in 


28 


FATHER    MARQUETTE.  29 

the  New  World.  After  remaining  a  short  time  at 
Quebec  Marquette  went  west  to  Lake  Huron,  where 
he  spent  a  number  of  years  among  the  Indians,  in- 
structing them  in  the  ways  of  Christianity.  While 
among  these  Indians  he  learned  their  languages,  and 
it  is  said  that  he  understood,  and  could  speak,  six 
different  Indian  dialects. 

Marquette  went  to  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  where  Father 
Allouez  had  established  a  mission,  and  for  a  time 
traveled  through  the  country  visiting  different  tribes 
of  Indians,  and  among  them  made  converts  wher- 
ever he  went.  His  active  spirit  could  not  rest,  caus- 
ing him  to  travel  from  place  to  place  exposed  to  in- 
clement weather,  wading  through  water  and  snow, 
spending  days  without  shelter  or  fire,  subsisting  on 
parched  corn,  or  moss  gathered  from  rocks,  some- 
times paddling  his  canoe  up  and  down  streams,  or 
along  the  lake  shore,  and  sleeping  at  night  in  open 
air.  Said  Marquette  in  a  letter  to  a  friend  in  France: 
"A  life  in  the  wilderness  has  its  charms,  and  the 
rude  hut  of  a  savage  is  better  adapted  to  a  true  dis- 
ciple of  Christ  than  the  palace  of  a  king.  My  heart 
ofttimes  swells  with  rapture  as  my  canoe  glides  over 
strange  waters,  or  while  plodding  my  way  through 
thick  forests,  among  briers  and  thorns,  in  laboring 
for  the  cause  of  my  Redeemer." 

Father   Marquette   founded   a   mission  at  Point 


30  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

St.  Ignace,  opposite  the  island  of  Mackinaw,  and  In- 
dians from  different  villages  along  the  lake  came 
thither  for  religious  instruction.  He  built  here  on 
the  bank  of  the  lake  a  small  chapel,  dedicated  to  St. 
Ignace,  and  a  few  years  afterward  was  buried  be- 
neath its  altar. 

DISCOVERY  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI  EIVER. 

For  many  years  Indians  from  the  far  west,  while 
visiting  French  trading  posts  in  Canada,  spoke  of  a 
great  river  that  flowed  into  the  ocean,  but  the  course 
of  this  river  and  where  it  discharged  its  waters  could 
not  be  learned.  However,  it  was  generally  believed 
to  empty  into  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  through  it  a 
water  communication  could  be  obtained  across  the 
continent.  The  Governor  of  Canada,  knowing  the 
great  advantage  to  be  derived  from  this  outlet  to  the 
west,  selected  Louis  Joliet,  a  Canadian  by  birth,  to 
make  the  necessary  discovery. 

In  the  spring  of  1673  Joliet  was  furnished  with 
the  necessary  outfit  for  the  voyage,  and  prepared 
himself  to  embark  in  this  hazardous  enterprise. 
Father  Marquette,  having  acquired  much  fame  among 
the  natives  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Huron,  was  se- 
lected to  accompany  this  expedition.  This  priest 
being  an  earnest  votary  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  to 
do  her  bidding  he  was  willing  to  make  any  sacrifice. 


DISCOVERY    OF   THE   MISSISSIPPI    11IVER.        31 

His  bold  nature  knew  no  fear,  and  he  was  prepared 
to  suffer  all  deprivations,  endure  all  hardships  in 
discovering  new  lands  and  conquering  new  realms, 
to  the  honor  and  glory  of  her  holiness.  Before 
starting  on  his  journey  he  wrote  to  a  friend  at  Que- 
bec saying:  "  In  making  this  voyage  I  place  myself 
under  the  protection  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  and  if  she 
grants  me  the  privilege  of  seeing  the  great  river  of 
the  west,  and  follow  its  course  to  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
I  will  name  it  to  her  honor  The  Immaculate  Con- 
ception." 

All  things  being  ready,  Joliet  and  Marquette,  ac- 
companied by  five  companions,  in  two  bark  canoes, 
started  on  their  journey.  They  carried  with  them 
a  supply  of  smoked  meat  and  Indian  corn,  besides 
a  great  variety  of  trinkets  as  presents  to  the  Indians. 

After  a  tempestuous  voyage  in  coasting  along  the 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  they  arrived  at  Green  Bay 
early  in  May.  After  giving  the  natives  many  pres- 
ents, and  accompanied  by  an  Indian  guide,  they  con- 
tinued on  their  way  westward.  While  rowing  their 
canoes  up  the  rapid  current  of  Fox  River  they 
reached  a  village  on  its  banks  whose  inhabitants 
advised  them  to  go  no  farther  on  their  journey,  or 
their  lives  would  be  sacrificed.  They  told  the  voy- 
ageurs  that  the  banks  of  the  great  river  were  in- 
habited by  a  ferocious  tribe  *of  savages  who  put  all 


32  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

strangers  to  death,  and  the  stream  was  full  of  fright- 
ful monsters,  some  of  them  large  enough  to  swallow 
a  canoe  with  all  its  contents.  They  also  said  that  in 
a  high  cliff  of  rocks  by  the  side  of  the  river  lived  a 
demon,  whose  roar  was  so  loud  as  to  shake  the 
earth  and  destroy  all  canoes  passing  up  or  down 
stream. 

These  wonderful  stories  did  not  frighten  the 
travelers,  and  after  giving  the  Indians  a  few  pres- 
ents they  continued  on  their  way.  Passing  up  Fox 
Biver,  and  dragging  their  canoes  across  the  portage, 
they  floated  down  the  Wisconsin.  After  a  few  days' 
journey  the  river  bluffs  on  either  side  disappeared, 
and  while  viewing  the  wild  scenery  around  them 
their  canoe  entered  the  broad  Mississippi  and  they 
found  themselves  upon  the  Father  of  Waters.  The 
voyageurs  landed  from  their  canoes,  raised  a  cross  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  and  sang  praises  to  the  Holy 
Yirgin  for  her  guidance  and  protection  thus  far  on 
their  journey.  Father  Marquette  pronounced  a  bless- 
ing on  the  river  and  christened  it  with  the  most 
sacred  name  of  "Immaculate  Conception." 

After  spending  a  day  in  fasting  and  prayers  their 
canoes  were  again  put  on  the  water  and  they  com- 
menced descending  the  river.  While  floating  down 
stream  they  discovered  on  the  east  bank,  near  the 
present  site  of  the  city  o*f  Alton,  a  high  cliff  of  rocks 


DISCOVERY    OF   THE    MISSISSIPPI   RIVER.        33 

rising  in  bold  relief  from  the  water's  edge.  .This 
cliff  for  many  years  afterward  was  known  as  the 
"Ruined  Castle,"  and  is  the  site  of  a  thrilling  legend 
in  Indian  tradition.  On  landing  here  they  beheld 
a  sight  which  reminded  them  that  the  devil  was  lord 
of  the  wilderness.  On  the  surface  of  rock  next  to 
the  water  was  painted,  in  red,  black  and  green,  a 
pair  of  monsters,  each  of  them  as  large  as  an  ox, 
with  horns  like  an  elk,  heads  like  a  tiger,  and  with 
a  frightful  expression  of  countenance.  The  face  of 
these  monsters  resembled  that  of  a  man,  the  body 
covered  with  scales  like  a  fish,  with  tails  so  long  as 
to  reach  three  times  around  them.  These  terrible 
looking  monsters  (representing  Indian  gods)  so 
frightened  Father  Marquette  that  he  fled  from  the 
place  in  terror,  and  hastened  on  board  of  his  canoe. 
As  the  travelers  were  passing  down  the  river, 
conversing  about  the  hideous  painting  on  the  rock, 
they  were  suddenly  aroused  to  real  danger.  Here 
a  torrent  of  muddy  water  came  rushing  across  the 
clear  current,  boiling  and  surging,  carrying  in  its 
course  drift-wood,  consisting  of  brush  and  uprooted 
trees.  Their  light  bark  canoes  were  whirled  about 
on  the  dark,  angry  water,  like  a  twig  in  a  swollen 
brook,  and  with  great  difficulty  their  frail  crafts  were 
kept  from  swamping  in  the  foaming  billows.  They 
had  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri  River,  and 


34  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

with  great  rapidity  their  canoes  floated  down  the 
swollen  stream. 

The  voyageurs  descended  the  Mississippi  River  to 
its  junction  with  the  Arkansas,  when  they  became 
satisfied  that  the  great  river  emptied  into  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  instead  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  consequently 
they  turned  their  canoes  up  stream  on  their  return 
homeward  toward  Canada. 

THE  VOYAGEURS  AT  LA  VANTUM. 

On  a  clear  warm  day  in  September,  1673,  two 
bark  canoes  were  seen  slowly  gliding  up  the  Illinois 
River,  whose  placid  waters  had  never  before  reflected 
the  face  of  a  white  man.  These  canoes  were  pro- 
pelled up  stream  by  sails  and  oars,  and  as  they 
went  forward  the  voyageurs  caused  the  wild  woods 
along  the  shore  to,  resound  with  songs  of  praise. 
On  the  sail  of  the  foremost  canoe  was  painted  vari- 
ous devices,  representing  a  coat-of-arms,  a  pipe  of 
peace,  and  a  cross,  emblematical  of  power,  friend- 
ship, and  Christianity.  The  voyageurs  were  much 
delighted  with  the  country  along  the  placid  stream, 
and  made  many  comments  on  the  beauty  of  the  sur- 
rounding country.  Large  herds  of  buffalo  were  seen 
feeding  on  the  green  meadows,  and  at  the  sound  of 
the  oars  elk,  deer  and  antelope  would  rise  from 
their  lair,  and  bound  away  across  the  distant  plains. 


THE  VOTAGEURS  AT  LA  VANTUM.      35 

Wild  geese  and  swans  were  swimming  in  the  river, 
while  flocks  of  paroquets  made  merry  the  lonely 
waters  with  their  songs. 

This  party  of  travelers  consisted  of  nine  persons, 
Louis  Joliet,  Jacques  Marquette,  five  oarsmen, 
and  two  Indian  interpreters.  While  forcing  their 
light  crafts  up  stream  they  were  surprised  to  come 
suddenly  upon  a  large  town  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
river,  while  back  of  it  the  great  meadow  was  covered 
with  camping-tents,  and  swarming  with  human 
beings.  This  was  the  great  Illinois  town  called 
La  Vantum,  situated  near  the  present  site  of  Utica, 
and  known  in  after  years  as  the  great  landmark  of 
the  west. 

As  the  voyageurs  approached  the  town  the  Indians 
in  great  numbers  collected  on  the  river  bank  to  see 
these  strange  people,  never  before  having  looked 
upon  the  face  of  a  white  man.  Warriors  armed  with 
war  clubs,  bows  and  arrows  lined  the  shore,  pre- 
pared to  give  the  strangers  battle  if  enemies,  or 
greet  them  kindly  if  friends.  The  canoes  came  to  a 
halt,  when  Joliet  displayed  the  "wampum,"  a  token 
of  friendship,  at  the  sight  of  which  the  warriors  low- 
ered their  weapons  and  motioned  the  voyageurs  to 
come  ashore.  Father  Marquette,  with  a  pipe  of 
peace  in  one  hand  and  a  small  gold  cross  in  the 
other,  approached  the  Indians,  who  in  astonishment 


30  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

» 

collected  around  him,  offering  up  mementoes  to 
appease  the  wrath  of  the  great  Manitou,  from  whom 
they  believed  the  strangers  had  come.  The  tourists 
left  their  canoes,  being  conducted  to  the  lodge  of 
the  head  chief,  Chassagoac,  where  they  were  kindly 
entertained  for  the  night. 

On  the  following  day,  in  the  presence  of  all  the 
chiefs  and  principal  warriors,  Joliet  took  formal  pos- 
session of  the  country  in  the  name  of  Louis  XIV, 
after  which  Marquette  preached  to  this  vast  .assem- 
bly. Under  Marquette's  preaching  many  were  con- 
verted, and  baptized  in  accordance  to  the  Catholic 
church.  Among  the  converts  was  Chassagoac,  the 
head  chief  of  the  Illinois  Indians,  who  continued  in 
the  faith,  and  in  after  years  was  a  friend  of  the  early 
pioneers  on  the  Illinois  River.  Marquette  gave  this 
chief  a  number  of  Christian  mementoes,  consisting 
of  crosses,  crucifixes,  etc.,  all  of  which  he  wore  on 
his  person  for  more  than  fifty  years,  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death  they  were  buried  with  him. 

On  the  third  day  the  canoes  of  the  explorers 
were  again  on  the  river,  and  they  continued  their 
journey  eastward.  On  reaching  the  mouth  of  the 
Chicago  River  Joliet,  with  three  companions,  con- 
tinued on  his  way  to  Canada  to  report  to  the  gover- 
nor, while  Marquette  with  two  others  went  to  Green 
Bay  for  the  purpose  of  converting  the  Indians.  As 


THE  VOYAGEURS  AT  LA  VANTUM.      37 

Joliet  was  passing  down  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence River,  near  Montreal,  his  canoe  upset,  and  his 
journal,  with  all  other  valuables,  were  lost. 

These  explorers  published  no  account  of  their 
travels,  and  the  world  was  but  little  wiser  for  their 
journey,  except  to  establishing  the  fact  that  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  did  not  flow  into  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
and  Illinois  was  a  rich  country. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  CROSS  RAISED  ON  THE  BANK  OF  CHICAGO 
RIVER. 


MARQUETTE  remained  at  Green 
-L  Bay  only  a  short  time,  his  health  being  bad, 
and  the  Winnebago  Indians,  with  whom  he  so- 
journed, were  unwilling  to  abandon  the  religion  of 
their  fathers  for  Christianity.  It  being  impressed  on 
the  mind  of  Marquette  that  his  stay  on  earth  would 
be  short,  and  before  departing  hence,  he  felt  it  his 
duty  to  visit  the  Illinois  Indians  and  again  establish 
among  them  a  mission  in  honor  of  the  Holy  Virgin. 
Late  in  the  fall  Marquette,  accompanied  by  two  of 
his  countrymen,  Pierre  and  Jacques,  with  two  In- 
dians, left  Green  Bay  for  the  Illinois  River.  The 
weather  was  cold,  the  wind  high,  and  with  great 
difficulty  they  coasted  along  the  western  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan.  Frequently  the  travelers  were  com- 
pelled to  land  from  the  turbulent  water,  draw  their 
canoe  on  the  beach,  and  wait  for  the  wind  and  waves 
to  subside.  After  a  long,  perilous  voyage  the 
travelers  reached  the  mouth  of  Chicago  river,  and 

38 


CKOSS    RAISED    ON    THE    CHICAGO    RIVER.       39 

ascended  it  about  three  leagues  to  a  grove  of  timber. 
Here  Marquette  was  taken  very  sick,  and  winter 
set  in,  the  river  froze  up,  and  the  prairie  covered 
with  snow  and  ice.  Near  the  river  bank  Pierre  and 
Jacques  built  a  hut,  covering  and  siding  it  with 
buffalo  skins,  and  here  in  this  rude  tenement  they 
lived  about  three  months. 

Buffalo  and  deer  were  plenty,  and  the  Indians 
from  a  neighboring  village  supplied  them  with  corn, 
honey  and  maple  sugar,  so  they  did  not  want  for  the 
necessaries  of  life.  For  many  days  Marquette  was 
prostrated  by  disease  so  he  could  not  leave  his 
couch,  and  his  friends  believed  that  his  time  of  de- 
parture was  nigh.  Having  a  great  desire  to  estab- 
lish a  mission  among  the  Illinois  Indians  before 
death  overtook  him,  Marquette  begged  his  two  com- 
panions, Pierre  and  Jacques,  to  join  him  in  nine  days' 
devotion  to  the  Virgin,  and  through  her  interposition 
his  disease  relented  and  he  gained  strength  daily. 
Indians  from  a  village  two  leagues  distant  frequently 
visited  their  hut,  and  Marquette,  feeble  as  he 
was,  preached  to  them,  and  many  became  converted 
to  Christianity.  Near  their  hut  they  built  a  tem- 
porary altar,  over  which  was  raised  a  large  wooden 
cross.  The  converted  Indians  were  instructed,  while 
praying,  to  look  upon  this  cross  and  thereby  all 
their  sins  were  remitted. 


40  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

MISSION  OF  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION. 

The  winter  was  now  passed,  snow  and  ice  had 
disappeared  from  the  prairie,  and  the  warm  sun  of 
early  spring  not  only  animated  nature,  but  it  gave 
strength  and  vitality  to  Father  Marquette.  His 
cough  had  almost  ceased,  his  tall,  manly  form,  which 
had  been  bent  by  rheumatism,  was  now  erect,  and 
he  sang  songs  of  praise  to  the  Holy  Virgin  for  his 
restoration  to  health.  After  taking  an  affectionate 
farewell  of  the  converted  Indians  Marquette,  with 
his  two  companions  in  a  bark  canoe,  left  for  the 
great  Illinois  town. 

With  sail  and  oars  the  voyageurs  urged  their 
canoe  down  the  Des  Plaines  and  Illinois  Rivers,' 
while  the  surrounding  woods  reechoed  their  songs  of 
praise.  Birds  were  singing  among  the  trees,  squir- 
rels chirping  in  the  groves,  while  elk  and  deer 
bounded  away  at  the  sound  of  the  approaching 
canoe.  Swans,  pelicans  and  wild  geese  would  rise 
from  the  water  and  fly  squawking  down  stream, 
while  beaver  and  otter  were  sporting  in  the  water 
and  diving  under  their  canoe.  Far  and  near  the 
prairie  was  covered  with  herds  of  buffalo,  some 
basking  in  the  sun,  while  others  were  feeding  on  the 
early  spring  grass. 

When  Marquette  arrived  at  La  Vantum  the  In- 
dians received  him  as  though  he  was  an  angel  from 


MISSION    OF    IMMACULATE    CONCEPTION.         41 

heaven,  some  of  whom  fell  on  their  knees  before 
him,  asking  forgiveness  for  past  sins.  Chassagone, 
the  head  chief,  whom  Marquette  had  baptized  the 
year  before,  was  so  delighted  at  meeting  the  holy 
father  that  he  embraced  him,  and  wept  for  joy.  On 
the  following  day  after  Marquette's  arrival  all  the 
Indians,  old  and  young,  assembled  on  the  meadow 
.above  the  town  to  hear  good  tidings  from  the  great 
French  Manitou,  the  name  given  to  Christ.  Around 
him  were  seated  on  the  ground  five  hundred  chiefs 
and  old  warriors,  behind  them  stood  one  thousand 
five  hundred  young  braves,  while  around  these 
were  collected  all  the  squaws  and  papooses  of  the 
town.  Marquette,  standing  in  the  midst  of  this  vast 
assembly,  displayed  to  them  two  pictures,  painted 
on  canvas,  one  of  the  Virgin,  and  the  other  of 
Christ,  telling  them  of  God,  of  heaven,  of  hell,  and 
•of  a  judgment  to  come,  when  all  the  Indians  clapped 
their  hands  and  shouted  for  joy.  By  Marquette's 
•direction  the  Indians  tore  down  the  temple  and  im- 
ages erected  to  the  god  of  war,  and  built  a  chapel  on 
its  site.  "When  the  chapel  was  completed  all  the 
chiefs  and  old  warriors  assembled  therein,  when 
Marquette  dedicated  it  in  honor  ,of  the  Holy  Vir- 
gin, giving  it  the  same  name  which  he  had  already 
given  to  the  Mississippi  Kiver,  "The  Immaculate 
Conception." 


42  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Each  day  the  chapel  was  filled  with  converts,  and 
Marquette  preached  to  them,  baptizing  old  and 
young  ;  a  large  number  of  converts  were  enrolled  in 
the  church  book,  and  saved  from  perdition.  On 
Easter  Sunday  the  chapel  was  decorated  with  flowers 
and  evergreens,  representing  crosses,  anchors,  cruci- 
fixes, etc.  Incense  was  burned  on  the  altar,  and 
lights  were  kept  burning  during  the  day,  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  Catholic  church.  This  day  was 
a  joyous  one,  and  long  remembered  by  the  Indians, 
but  with  it  ended  the  ministry  of  Marquette  among 
the  redmen  of  the  west. 

Spring  had  now  come,  the  groves  were  once  more 
green,  and  the  prairies  again  covered  with  grass  and 
flowers,  but  it  did  not  bring  health  and  vigor  to  the 
failing  priest.  His  disease  had  again  returned  in  its 
worst  form,  and  he  felt  that  his  life  was  fast  passing 
away.  After  spending  two  days  and  nights  in 
prayer,  communing  with  Christ  and  the  Holy  Yir- 
gin,  he  concluded  to  return  to  Canada,  where  he 
could  receive  the  sacrament  from  the  hands  of  his 
brethren  before  he  died. 

On  the  third  day  after  Easter  the  natives  were 
assembled  in  the  chapel,  when  Marquette,  pale  and 
feeble  as  he  was,  preached  to  them,  instructing  his 
converts  in  the  ways  of  Christianity,  telling  them 
that  he  was  about  to  depart  for  Canada,  but  promised 


DEATH    OF   MARQUETTE.  43 

to  send  a  priest  to  teach  them  in  the  ways  of  salva- 
tion. The  Indians  heard  the  news  -in  sadness, 
gathering  around  the  holy  father  and  begging  him 
to  remain  with  them.  But  he  told  his  brethren  that 
his  work  was  ended,  that  a  few  weeks  would  close 
his  pilgrimage  here  on  earth,  and  before  departing 
hence  he  desired  to  return  to  Canada  and  leave 
his  bones  among  his  countrymen. 

Marqnette's  canoe  was  once  more  put  on  the 
water,  and  with  his  two  faithful  companions  Ije  com- 
menced his  journey  eastward.  About  five  hundred 
warriors,  some  in  canoes  and  others  mounted  on 
ponies,  accompanied  Marquette  as  far  as  Lake 
Michigan,  and  there  received  from  him  the  parting 
blessing.  After  parting  with  the  Indians,  Marquette's 
canoe,  with  sails  hoisted  and  oars  applied,  coasted 
near  the  shore  around  the  head  of  the  Lake.  Pierre 
and  Jacques  with  all  their  pofwer  plied  the  oars  to 
increase  the  speed,  while  the  sick  priest  lay  pros- 
trated in  the  bottom  of  the  canoe  communing  with 
the  Virgin  and  with  angels. 

DEATH  OF  MARQUETTE. 

On  the  19th  of  May,  1675,  while  near  Sleeping 
Bear  Point,  Marquette  felt  that  his  time  had  come, 
and  told  his  companions  to  land  him  on  the  beach  of 
the  lake,  so  he  might  receive  the  sacrament  before  he 


44  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

died.  On  a  high  point  of  land,  at  the  mouth  of  a 
small  stream  which  still  bears  his  name,  they  built  a 
bark  hut,  and  carried  thither  the  dying  priest. 
"With  his  eyes  fixed  on  a  crucifix  which  one  of  his 
companions  held  before  him,  and  while  murmuring 
the  name  of  Mary  and  Jesus,  he  breathed  his  last. 
His  companions  dug  a  grave  on  the  bank  of  the 
stream  near  the  place  where  he  died,  and  buried  him 
there.  In  obedience  to  his  request  they  erected  over 
his  grave  a  cross  made  of  bass-wood  timber,  on 
which  were  engraved  his  name  and  date  of  his 
death.  After  burying  Marquette  Pierre  and  Jacques 
again  put  their  canoe  on  the  water  and  continued 
their  journey  toward  Canada,  conveying  thither  the 
sad  news  of  his  death.  Three  years  after  Marquette's 
death  a  party  of  Indians  from  Point  St.  Ignace,  who 
were  converted  under  Marquette's  preaching  some 
years  before,  went  to  Lake  Michigan,  opened  the 
grave,  and  took  up  the  remains.  After  scraping  off 
the  putrid  flesh,  washing  and  drying  the  bones,  they 
were  placed  in  a  box  made  of  birch-bark  and 
carried  home  with  them.  "With  the  remains  of  the 
holy  father  they  turned  their  canoe  homeward,  sing- 
ing and  chanting  praises  as  they  went  on  their  way. 
Seven  miles  above  Point  St.  Ignace  they  were  met  by 
a  large  delegation  of  Indians  in  canoes,  who  formed 
a  procession  to  escort  the  remains  to  the  mission. 


RESURRECTING    MARQUETTE  7S    BONES.  45 

With  their  faces  blacked,  oars  muffled,  and  singing 
a  funeral  dirge,  the  procession  slowly  approached  the 
mission,  and  were  met  at  the  landing  by  priest- 
traders  and  Indians,  all  of  whom  wore  badges  of 
mourning.  With  a  solemn  ceremony  the  remains 
of  Father  Marquette  were  received  at  the  mission, 
and  buried  beneath  the  altar  of  the  little  chapel  of 
St.  Ignace  which  he  had  built  some  years  before. 

Two  centuries  have  now  passed  away  since  the 
burial  of  Marquette,  and  long  since  the  little  chapel 
of  St.  Ignace  has  disappeared,  but  the  spot  where  it 
stood  was  hallowed  by  the  French  and  converted 
Indians,  and  continues  to  be  pointed  out  to  strangers 
visiting  the  place. 

For  many  years  after  the  death  of  Marquette  the 
French  sailors  on  the  lakes  kept  his  picture  nailed 
to  the  mast  head  as  a  guardian  angel,  and  when 
overtaken  by  storm  and  perils  at  sea  they  would 
pray  to  the  holy  father  beseeching  him  to  calm  the 
winds  and  still  the  troubled  waters  in  order  that  they 
might  reach  port  in  safety. 

RESURRECTING  MARQUETTE'S  BONES. 

The  old  chapel  of  St.  Ignace  continued  to  stand 
guard  over  the  remains  of  Marquette  until  the  year 
1706,  when  it  was  burned  down  and  the  mission 
removed  to  the  island  of  Mackinaw.  For  many 


46  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

years  after  the  mission  was  removed  from  this  old 
historic  place  religious  enthusiasts  were  in  the  habit 
of  visiting  Point  St.  Ignace,  and  offering  up  prayers 
on  this  sacred  spot.  For  ages  the  place  where  the 
chapel  stood  was  hallowed  by  zealous  Catholics,  but 
no  steps  were  taken  to  memorize  the  grave  or  recover 
the  bones  of  the  great  missionary  and  explorer,  until 
a  few  years  ago  this  matter  was  brought  to  public 
notice.  In  the  spring  of  1877  Father  Jocker,  the 
village  priest,  began  to  agitate  the  subject  of  resur- 
recting the  bones  of  Marquette,  and  everywhere  it 
met  with  public  favor.  A  time  having  been  set 
for  that  purpose,  people  from  a  distance  collected 
at  Point  St.  Ignace,  and  amid  a  large  assembly  of 
enthusiastic  persons  the  remains  were  exhumed. 

Excavations  having  been  made  on  the  site  of  the 
old  chapel  the  relics  of  the  altar  of  the  Holy  Yirgin 
were  found  and  taken  out.  Beneath  the  altar,  in  a 
vault  walled  with  red  cedar,  was  found  a  large  piece 
of  birch-bark  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  and 
here  too  were  found  the  remains  of  Marquette,  where 
they  had  lain  for  over  two  hundred  years.  The 
bones,  much  decayed,  some  of  them  mouldered  into 
dust  when  exposed  to  the  air,  were  taken  out  in  the 
presence  of  a  large  collection  of  people,  and  with 
proper  ceremony  buried  in  a  cemetery  nearby,  over 
which  a  monument  to  his  memory  has  been  erected. 


CHAPTER  IY. 

LA  VANTUM,  OR  GREAT  ILLINOIS  TOWN. 

rTIHE  name  of  La  Vantum  was  applied  to  the 
JL  great  Illinois  town  over  a  century  ago  by  the 
French  and  half-breeds  at  Peoria.  The  name  in  the 
Indian  language  is  said  to  mean  a  great  place,  a 
large  town,  capital  for  a  tribe,  etc.  In  letters  written 
by  Jesuits  and  early  explorers  of  the  west  it  is 
spoken  of  as  the  great  town  of  Illinois,  where  chiefs 
and  warriors  from  other  villages  met  for  council. 
Joliet  called  this  place  Kaskaskia,  but  by  La  Salle 
and  subsequent  explorers  it  is  spoken  of  as  the  great 
Illinois  town.  The  number  of  its  inhabitants  has 
been  variously  estimated  by  different  explorers, 
ranging  from  five  to  eight  thousand.  Marquette 
said  he  found  here  five  hundred  chiefs  and  old  war- 
riors, and  fifteen  hundred  young  braves.  Seven 
years  afterward  Father  Hennepin  counted  four  hun- 
dred and  sixty-eight  lodges,  each  of  which  contained 
from  two  to  four  families.  Others  speak  of  it  as  a 
large  town,  occupying  the  river  bank  for  a  mile  or 
more  in  length,  and  extending  back  some  distance 
on  the  prairie. 

47 


48  PIONEERS    OF    ILLESTOIS. 

This  great  Indian  town  of  the  west  has  long  since- 
disappeared,  and  like  many  of  the  ancient  cities  of 
the  Old  World  both  history  and  tradition  fail  to 
point  out  its  exact  location.  Some  antiquarians  have 
located  it  near  Buffalo  Rock,  others  at  the  mouth  of 
Little  Vermillion,  as  many  -Indian  relics  are  found 
at  each  of  these  places.  But  in  comparing  the  dif- 
ferent accounts  given  of  this  town,  from  its  first  dis- 
covery by  Joliet  to  its  final  distruction  by  the  allied 
forces,  a  period  of  nearly  one  hundred  years,  it  is 
shown  conclusively  to  have  stood  on  or  near  the 
site  of  old  Utica,  and  here  relics  of  it  are  found  in 
great  quantities.  History  says  it  was  on  the  north, 
bank  01  the  river,  in  plain  view  of  Fort  St.  Louisr 
and  the  French  passed  to  and  from  it  in  their  canoes. 
On  the  north  side  of  the  river  is  a  large  bottom 
prairie,  extending  from  Buffalo  Rock  to  the  Little 
Vermillion,  about  nine  miles  long  and  one  and  a  half 
miles  in  width.  Near  the  middle  of  this  prairie,  be- 
low the  foot  of  the  rapids,  the  river  is  confined  to  a 
deep,  narrow  channely  and  the  bank  rises  gradually 
from  the  water's  edge  until  it  reaches  high  land  in 
the  rear,  forming  a  sloping  plateau,  elevated  above 
the  floods  of  the  Illinois,  and  for  beauty  of  location 
is  scarcely  surpassed  by  any  place  on  the  river. 
IM  early  times  this  point  was  considered  the  head  of 
navigation,  and  consequently  it  would  be  the  fer- 


LA  VANTUM,  OR    GREAT    ILLINOIS    TOWN.       49 

mination  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  In 
1834  a  town  was  laid  off  here  by  Simon  Crozier,  and 
people  prophesied  that  it  was  destined  to  be  a  large 
city.  Steamboats  at  St.  Louis  put  out  their  sign  for 
Utica,  and  travelers  for  the  Lake  country  or  eastward 
bound  landed  here,  thence  by  stage  to  Chicago. 
Corn  now  grows  on  this  town  site.  Two  or  three 
old  dilapidated,  unoccupied  buildings  only  remain 
of  this  once  great  paper  city,  and  Utica,  like  its  pre- 
decessor, La  Vantum,  exists  only  in  history  of  the 
past. 

Felix  La  Pance,  a  French  trader  at  Peoria,  fre- 
quently visited  this  town,  it  being  on  his  route  to 
and  from  Canada,  and  from  1751  to  1768  traded  with 
the  inhabitants,  taking  their  furs  on  his  annual  trips 
east,  and  paying  for  them  in  goods  on  his  return. 
Some  account  of  this  town  is  found  among  his  papers, 
now  in  the  possession  of  his  descendants.  This 
account  speaks  of  a  town  containing  five  or  six 
hundred  lodges  standing  along  the  river  bank,  while 
back  of  these,  on  the  prairie,  were  many  camping- 
tents,  occupied  by  Indians  part  of  the  year.  On 
the  river  bank,  near  the  middle  of  the  town,  stood 
their  great  council  house,  surrounded  by  stockades 
and  various  kinds  of  temporary  fortifications.  The 
town  was  shaded  by  a  few  outspreading  oaks,  and 
in  the  midst  of  them,  and  close  to  the  river  bank, 


50  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

was  a  large  spring  of  cold  water.  This  spring, 
spoken  of  by  La  Pance,  cannot  be  found  on  the  old 
town  site,  but  whoever  will  take  the  trouble  to  ex- 
amine the  river  at  this  point  when  low  will  observe 
a  short  distance  from  shore  the  bubbles  from  a 
spring  under  water.  Waba,  an  Indian  chief  of  some 
note,  who  lived  at  a  village  on  the  south  side  of  the 
riv.er,  opposite  Lake  Depue,  in  speaking  of  this 
town  said,  in  his  youthful  days  there  was  a  large 
spring  of  cold  water  here  by  the  side  of  the  trail, 
but  afterward  it  sank  and  came  out  under  the  river 
as  we  now  see  it. 

A  short  distance  from  the  river  is  a  range  of 
gravelly  knolls,  where  the  Indians  had  their  caches 
or  subterranean  store-house  for  depositing  corn. 
The  remains  of  these  caches  were  plain  to  be  seen 
in  the  early  settlement  of  the  country,  and  in  some 
places  these  relics  still  exist,  notwithstanding  they 
have  been  plowed  over  for  many  years.  Back  of 
the  town,  on  high  prairie,  was  their  burying-ground, 
where  the  ashes  of  posterity  mingled  with  those  of 
their  ancestors  for  many  generations.  Many  small 
moiinds  were  found  here  in  the  early  settlement  of 
the  country,  but  have  been  mostly  leveled  down  in 
searching  for  treasures.  These  mounds  are  supposed 
to  have  been  raised  over  the  remains  of  chiefs  and 
great  warriors,  and  are  said  to  have  contained  some 


THE  GREAT  WESTERN  EXPLORER.      51 

of  the  valuables  of  the  deceased.  About  sixty  years 
ago,  Waba,  the  Indian  chief  above  referred  to,  took 
from  one  of  these  mounds  many  trinkets,  among 
which  was  a  silver  medallion  head  of  Louis  XIV, 
bearing  date  1670,  being  three  years  before  Mar- 
quette's  first  visit  to  this  place,  and  in  all  probability 
it  was  given  to  a  convert  by  that  missionary. 

I  am  informed  by  James  Clark,  the  owner  of  the 
land  around  old  Utica,  and  also  by  one  of  his  ten- 
ants, that  every  year  many  Indian  relics  are  plowed 
up.  These  relics  consist  of  human  teeth  and  frag- 
ments of  small  bones,  with  flint  arrow-heads,  stone 
hatchets,  and  various  kinds  of  trinkets. 

THE  GREAT  WESTERN  EXPLORER. 

Seven  years  after  Joliet  and  Marquette  discovered 
the  Upper  Mississippi,  La  Salle  obtained  a  patent 
from  the  King  of  France  authorizing  him  to  ex- 
plore and  take  possession  in  the  king's  name  all  the 
country  west  of  the  great  lakes.  La  Salle's  success 
and  failure  in  this  great  enterprise  is  a  matter  of  his- 
tory, and  much  of  it  foreign  to  our  purpose,  but  as 
he  was  identified  with  the  early  settlement  of  Illi- 
nois a  few  facts  relating  to  him  may  interest  the 
reader. 

TCobert  Cavalier  iLa  Salle  being  only  a  title)  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Rouen,  France,  in  the  year  1643, 

«r  u  \mo\s 


52  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

of  wealthy  parents,  and  educated  for  the  priesthood. 
In  person  he  is  said  to  have  been  large  and  mus- 
cular, of  an  iron  constitution,  possessing  a  fine  in- 
tellect, and  well  qualified  for  the  enterprise  in  which 
he  embarked.  He  inherited  from  his  ancestors  a 
large  fortune,  which  was  used  in  advancing  his  enter- 
prise, but  squandered  in  consequence  of  misplaced 
confidence  in  those  with  whom  he  associated.  Al- 
though La  Salle  made  his  mark  in  history,  his  life 
was  one  of  hardship,  exposure  and  deprivations,  and 
he  finally  died  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin  in  the 
wilds  of  Texas. 

A  few  years  ago,  while  strolling  through  the  city 
of  Rouen,  my  guide  pointed  out  an  old  palace  stand- 
ing on  high  ground,  and  overlooking  the  river  Seine. 
For  beauty  of  architecture  and  antique  appearance  this 
palace  has  no  equal  in  the  old  Norman  capital.  This 
old  palace,  said  my  guide,  was  once  the  residence  of 
the  Duke  of  Normandy,  better  known  as  William 
the  Conqueror,  and  from  its  portico  this  great  war- 
rior addressed  his  lords  and  nobles  on  the  day  he 
left  Normandy  for  the  conquest  of  England.  In  this 
palace,  continued  my  guide,  now  lives  Count  Cava- 
lier, a  descendant  of  the  family  of  La  Salle,  and  near 
by,  in  an  antique  looking  house,  is  pointed  out  as 
the  birth-place  of  the  great  explorer,  and  is  now  occu- 
pied by  a  descendant  of  his  family. 


LA  SALLE  AND  FRIENDS  WESTERN  BOUND.      53 

LA  SALLE  AND  FRIENDS  WESTERN  BOUND. 

In  the  summer  of  1679  La  Salle  built  a  vessel  at 
the  head  of  Niagara  River  for  the  purpose  of  navi- 
gating the  Upper  Lakes.  This  vessel  was  of  sixty 
tons  burden,  carrying  lateen  sails,  and  called  the 
Griffin.  It  was  armed  with  a  number  of  small  can- 
non, and  a  large  wooden  eagle  surmounted  its  prow, 
while  the  monster  for  which  it  was  named,  according 
to  Grecian  mythology,  was  painted  on  its  canvas. 
In  La  Salle's  party  was  an  Italian  officer,  second  in 
command,  named  Tonti,  also  three  Jesuit  priests, 
Hennepin,  Gabriel  and  Zenche,  the  former  known 
by  his  surname,  and  the  two  latter  by  their  given 
names  only. 

All  things  being  ready  the  cannons  fired  a  salute, 
the  sails  spread  to  the  breeze,  and  the  Griffin  moved 
forward,  plowing  through  the  maiden  waves  of  Lake 
Erie.  After  many  days'  sail  the  vessel  passed  through 
a  small  lake,  which  La  Salle  gave  the  name  of  St. 
Clair,  in  honor  of  that  saint,  whose  name  appeared 
that  day  in  the  calendar.  After  a  voyage  of  four 
weeks  the  Griffin  arrived  at  Mackinaw,  and  was 
safely  moored  in  its  harbor.  The  goods  brought  by 
the  Griffin  were  exchanged  for  furs  at  a  large  profit, 
and  the  vessel  loaded  with  pelts  and  furs  started 
back  for  Niagara,  but  was  never  heard  of  afterward. 


54  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Late  in  November,  La  Salle,  accompanied  by 
fourteen  persons,  left  Mackinaw  in  four  canoes  and 
coasted  along  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan. 
They  carried  with  them  a  blacksmith's  forge,  car- 
penter tools,  and  other  utensils  required  in  building 
a  fort,  besides  a  large  amount  of  merchandise  to 
trade  with  the  Indians.  On  the  second  day  out  they 
were  overtaken  by  a  storm,  which  compelled  them 
to  land,  drag  their  canoes  on  the  beach,  where  they 
remained  four  days  waiting  for  the  waves  to  subside. 
Again  trusting  their  frail  barks  to  the  waters  of  the 
lake,  they  were  overtaken  on  the  following  day  by  a 
severe  gale,  and  amid  the  lashing  of  waves  their 
canoes  drifted  on  a  barren,  rocky  island  some  dis- 
tance from  the  main-land.  Here  they  remained  two 
days  without  shelter  or  fire,  while  their  blankets 
alone  protected  them  from  the  cold  winter  blasts. 
At  last  the  voyageurs  reached  the  mouth  of  St. 
Joseph  River,  and  remained  here  some  days  waiting 
for  Tonti  and  his  thirty-five  companions,  who  came 
through  the  wilderness  of  .Michigan.  In  bark  canoes 
La  Salle  and  his  command  commenced  ascending  St. 
Joseph  River,  crossing  the  portage  and  down  the 
Kankakee  to  its  junction  with  the  Des  Plaines. 

It  was  midwinter  when  the  travelers  reached  La 
Yantum,  the  great  Illinois  town,  and  they  found  it 
deserted,  the  inhabitants  having  gone  off'  on  the 


LA  SALLE  AND  FRIENDS  WESTERN  BOUND.      55 

winter  hunt,  according  to  their  custom.  Being  in  a 
starving  condition,  La  Salle  ordered  one  of  the  caches 
opened,  and  they  took  therefrom  twenty  minots  of 
corn,  hoping  at  some  future  time  to  compensate  the 
Indians  for  this  robbery.  After  spending  two  days 
in  desolated  lodges  of  the  town  the  party  again 
boarded  their  canoes  and  continued  on  their  way 
down  the  river.  About  five  leagues  below  La  Van- 
turn,  at  the  mouth  of  a  stream  supposed  to  have  been 
Bureau  Creek,  the  voyageurs  landed  and  sent  out 
their  hunters  in  search  of  buffalo.  The  following 
day  being  New  Year,  1680,  it  was  agreed  to  spend 
it  in  camp,  saying  mass  and  taking  the  sacrament  in 
accordance  to  an  old  custom  in  the  Catholic  church. 
Before  leaving  Canada  Father  Hennepin  provided 
himself  with  a  miniature  altar,  which  folded  up  like 
an  army  chair  and  could  be  carried  on  the  back  the 
same  as  a  knapsack.  With  this  altar  on  his  back 
Father  Hennepin  started  off  through  the  woods  in 
search  of  a  suitable  place  for  worship,  followed  by 
the  other  priests  and  the  rest  of  the  party.  A  place 
was  selected,  a  cross  raised,  the  altar  erected,  and  the 
holy  father  preached  to  his  companions,  causing  the 
wild  woods  to  resound  with  exhortations  arid  songs 
of  praise.  After  preaching  and  saying  mass  the 
sacred  emblems  were  placed  by  the  side  of  the  altar, 
preparatory  to  taking  the  sacrament.  But  great  was 


56  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Father  Hennepin's  astonishment  to  find  the  wine 
vessel  empty,  as  one  of  the  party,  a  blacksmith  by 
trade,  nicknamed  La  Forge,  had  drank  it  up  while 
on  the  road.  For  this  act  of  sacrilege  Father  Henne- 
pin  pronounced  against  him  a  curse  equal  to  the  one 
the  Pope  pronounced  against  Martin  .Luther. 

FRENCH  AT  PEORIA  LAKE. 

According  to  history,  on  the  3d  of  January,  1680, 
the  inhabitants  of  an  Indian  village  situated  on  the 
west  bank  of  Peoria  Lake  were  surprised  to  see 
eight  canoes  filled  with  armed  men  opposite  their 
to\vn.  These  canoes  were  all  abreast,  presenting  a 
formidable  appearance,  and  the  men  seated  in  them 
held  guns  in  their  hands  ready  for  an  attack  or  de- 
fense. The  canoes  rounded  to  and  landed  at  the 
village,  causing  a  great  panic  among  the  Indians, 
some  of  whom  fled  in  terror,  while  others  seized 
their  arms  and  were  prepared  to  defend  themselves. 
Amid  the  confusion  that  followed  La  Salle  sprang 
ashore  and  presented  to  the  astonished  -natives  the 
calumet  (a  token  of  friendship),  while  Father  Hen- 
nepin  caught  several  frightened  papooses  and 
soothed  their  fears  with  kindness  and  small  presents. 

The  French  pitched  their  tents  in  the  Indian  vil- 
lage and  remained  there  for  some  days  ;  but  discon- 
tentment among  the  men,  and  fearing  treachery  of 


FORT    CREVE    CCEUR.  57 

tHe  Indians,  caused  La  Salle  to  remove  to  a  place  of 
greater  security.  A  site  to  build  a  fort  was  selected 
and  all  the  valuables  at  the  camp  transferred  thereto. 
On  account  of  the  gloomy  prospect,  the  discontent- 
ment and  desertion  of  some  of  the  men,  La  Salle 
named  this  fort  Creve  Coeur,  which  in  English  is 
Broken  Heart. 

FORT  CREVE  CCEUR. 

Father  Hennepin,  in  his  journal,  says  in  Jan- 
uary, 1680,  he  went  with  La  Salle  down  the  river  in 
search  of  a  suitable  place  to  build  a  fort.  An  emi- 
nence on  the  south  side  of  the  river  being  selected, 
which  was  defended  on  two  sides  by  ravines  cut  deep 
by  rains,  and  on  one  side  by  a  steep  bank,  so  the  site 
was  accessible  from  only  one  way.  A  ditch  was  dug 
on  the  land  side  connecting  the  two  ravines,  and  the 
site  inclosed  by  palisades.  The  soldiers  were  lodged 
in  huts  within  this  inclosure,  and  two  cabins  built, 
one  for  La  Salle  and  Tonti,  and  the  other  for  the 
three  friars. 

Much  has  been  written  about  the  site  of  Fort 
Creve  Creur,  but  the  only  place  in  this  vicinity  an- 
swering the  above  description  is  at  the  village  of 
Wesley,  which  is  located  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  three  miles  below  Peoria,  and  this  is  generally 
conceded  to  have  been  the  site  of  the  old  fort. 

Father  Hennepin  lamented  the  loss  of  wine,  which 


58  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

prevented  him  from  administering  the  sacrament, 
but  each  morning  and  evening  all  the  occupants  of 
the  fort  were  summoned  to  his  cabin  for  prayers. 
Fathers  Gabriel  and  Zenobe  spent  most  of  their  time 
in  the  Indian  village,  preaching  and  instructing  the 
natives  in  the  ways  of  Christianity,  but  they  made 
but  few  proselytes. 

About  the  1st  of  February  Father  Hennepin, 
in  a  canoe,  accompanied  by  two  of  his  countrymen, 
left  the  fort  on  a  voyage  of  discovery  ;  passing  down 
the  Illinois  River  to  its  mouth,  they  ascended  the 
Mississippi  to  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  ;  here  Hen- 
nepin and  his  comrades  were  made  prisoners  by  the 
Indians,  and  remained  in  confinement  for  several 
months,  but  afterward  they  were  liberated  and  re- 
turned to  Canada.  On  arriving  at  Montreal  Father 
Hennepin  sailed  for  France,  and  published  a  book 
of  his  adventures  in  the  new  world. 


CHAPTER  V. 

LA  SALLE  IN  AN  INDIAN  CAMP. 

WAR  having  existed  for  a  long  lime  between  the 
Illinois  and  Iroquois  Indians,  La  Salle  had 
now  to  use  his  influence  to  make  peace  between  the 
contending  parties,  as  this  hostility  would  endanger 
his  enterprise.  The  Illinois  Indians  regarded  this 
interference  on  the  part  of  La  Salle  as  treachery  to 
them,  and  in  council  they  had  decided  to  put  him 
and  his  comrades  to  death.  On  learning  of  this  de- 
cision of  the  Indians,  La  Salle  formed  and  executed 
a  bold  and  hazardous  project,  of  going  alone,  un- 
armed, to  the  Indian  camp,  for  the  purpose  of  vindi- 
cating his  conduct.  His  bravery  and  eloquence 
astonished  the  natives,  and  completely  changed  their 
purposes.  The  calumet  was  smoked,  presents  ex- 
changed, and  a  treaty  of  amity  concluded  between 
the  French  and  Indians. 

In  March,  La  Salle,  accompanied  by  two  of  his 
countrymen,  returned  to  Canada  to  obtain  supplies, 
as  he  was  now  convinced  that  the  Griffin,  with  her 
cargo,  had  been  lost.  While  they  were  forcing  their 
canoe  up  the  rapid  current  they  noticed  on  the  south 


n 


60  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

bank  a  remarkable  cliff  of  rocks  rising  from  the 
water's  edge  and  towering  above  the  forest  trees. 
Landing  from  their  canoe  they  ascended  this  rock 
and  found  it  to  be  a  natural  fortress,  where  but  little 
labor  would  be  required  to  make  it  impregnable,  so 
that  a  few  soldiers  could  hold  it  against  a  host  of 
savages.  When  La  Salle  arrived  at  Mackinaw  he 
sent  word  back  to  Tonti  to  fortify  this  rock  and 
make  it  his  stronghold.  Although  circumstances 
prevented  Tonti  from  obeying  the  orders  of  his 
superior,  nevertheless  a  fort  was  built  here  two 
years  afterward,  and  around  it  clustered  the  first 
colony  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

When  La  Salle  left  for  Canada  Tonti  took  com- 
mand of  the  fort,  which  he  was  expected  to  hold 
until  the  return  of  his  superior.  Mutiny  arose 
among  his  command,  and  a  short  time  after  La  Salle 
left,  all  the  soldiers  except  three  deserted  and  made 
their  way  back  to  Canada.  Tonti  being  left  with 
only  three  soldiers  and  two  Jesuit  priests,  abandoned 
Fort  Creve  Coeur,  and  it  was  never  occupied  by 
troops  afterward. 

HENRI  DE  TONTI. 

Among  the  many  adventurers  who  accompanied 
La  Salle  to  America,  and  took  in  exploring  the 
wilds  of  the  west,  was  a  young  Italian  of  noble  birth 


HENEI   DE   TONTI.  61 

by  the  name  of  Henri  de  Tonti.  Young  Tonti  with 
his  father's  family  were  banished  from  Italy  on  ac- 
count of  having  taken  part  in  a  revolution  of  that 
country,  and  they  found  a  home  at  Rouen,  France. 
Tonti  having  a  military  education  joined  the  French 
army  and  served  five  years,  part  of  the  time  as  cap- 
tain of  National  Guards.  At  the  close  of  the  war 
he  was  discharged  from  service,  came  to  America 
with  La  Salle,  and  took  part  in  his  enterprise.  La- 
Salle  made  Tonti  his  lieutenant,  second  in  command, 
and  the  sequel  shows  that  he  was  worthy  of  the 
trust  placed  in  him. 

Part  of  Tonti's  right  hand  having  been  shot  off 
in  the  Sicilian  war  its  place  was  supplied  by  an  iron 
one,  which  he  always  kept  covered  with  a  glove. 
With  this  iron  hand  Tonti  on  two  different  occasions 
broke  the  heads,  or  knocked  out  the  teeth,  of  disor- 
derly Indians,  which  caused  them  to  believe  that  he 
possessed  supernatural  power.  Tonti  brought  with 
him  from  France  a  large  sum  of  money,  which  was 
used  in  common  with  La  Salle  in  exploring  and 
taking  possession  of  the  country,  and  also  in  trade 
with  the  Indians. 

The  late  Dr.  Sparks  says  history  never  can  do 
ample  justice  to  Tonti,  as  his  life  was  one  of  patriot- 
ism, self  sacrifice,  and  the  discovery  and  settle- 
ment of  the  Great  West  belongs  mainly  to  him. 


62  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Forty  years  of  Tonti's  life  was  spent  in  the  wilds 
of  the  west,  enduring  hardships,  dangers  and  depri- 
vations, associating  with  savages,  and  without  the 
benefits  or  comforts  of  civilization.  His  fortune 
squandered,  his  health  and  manhood  sacrificed, 
stripped  of  his  hard-earned  laurels,  he  became  a  wan- 
derer along  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  but  at  last  returned 
to  die  at  Fort  St.  Louis,  and  his  bones  now  rest  on 
the  bank  of  the  Illinois  River,  at  the  west  end  of 
Starved  Rock. 

In  one  of  the  Louvre  picture  galleries  in  Paris 
can  be  seen  a  full  length  portrait  of  a  youthful  look- 
ing man,  dressed  in  a  French  uniform,  with  epaulets 
on  his  shoulders  and  an  eagle  on  his  breast.  His 
left  hand  holds  a  sword,  while  the  right  one  presents 
a  singular  appearance,  as  though  deformed,  but  hid- 
den by  a  glove.  This  tall,  graceful  figure,  and  the 
piercing  black  eyes,  never  fail  to  attract  the  attention 
of  strangers,  and  inquiry  would  naturally  arise  for  the 
history  of  the  person  here  represented.  Below  this 
portrait  is  painted,  in  large  letters,  the  name  "Henri 
de  Tonti,  la  voyajeur  des  Amerique." 

THE  FRENCH  AT  LA  VANTUM. 

Soon  after  the  troops  deserted  their  post  at  Fort 

Creve  Cceur,  Tonti,  with  those  remaining,  consisting 

of  Fathers  Gabriel  and  Zenobe  and  three  soldiers, 

abandoned  the  place.     All  the  valuables  in  the  fort 


THE    FRENCH    AT    LA  VANTUM.  63 

were  put  into  two  canoes,  when  the  party  ascended 
the  river  as  far  as  La  Yantum,  and  here  they  found 
quarters  among  the  Indians  with  the  intention  of 
awaiting  La  Salle's  return  from  Canada.  Tonti  ap- 
plied himself  in  learning  the  Indian  languages,  the 
two  priests  were  engaged  in  preaching  to  the  In- 
dians, while  the  soldiers  spent  the  honeymoon  with 
their  squaws,  whom  they  had  recently  married. 

About  three  miles  from  the  town,  in  the  midst  of 
a  thick  grove  of  timber,  Fathers  Gabriel  and  Zenobe 
erected  a  temporary  altar,  and  every  third  day  they 
repaired  thither  for  prayer  and  meditation.  Here 
in  this  lonely  spot,  far  away  from  the  noise  and 
bustle  of  the  town,  the  two  holy  friars  would  spend 
long  summer  days  from  early  morning  until  late  at 
night  communing  with  the  Yirgin,  and  with  saints 
and  angels.  Notwithstanding  these  priests  preached 
and  prayed  with  the  Indians  almost  daily,  promising 
them  great  success  in  war,  hunting,  etc.,  if  they 

i 

would  embrace  the  Christian  religion,  but  few  con- 
verts were  made.  Chassagoac,  the  head  chief,  hav- 
ing been  converted  several  years  before  under  the 
preaching  of  Marquette,  still  continued  in  the  faith. 
This  chief  with  his  family  and  a  few  of  his  friends 
had  taken  the  sacrament  from  the  hands  of  the 
priests,  but  all  other  chiefs  and  warriors  adhered 
to  the  religion  of  their  fathers. 


64  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

The  wine  brought  from  Canada  for  sacramental 
purposes  having  been  drank  by  La  Forge,  as  pre- 
viously stated,  it  became  necessary  to  procure 
a  substitute,  as  the  administration  of  the  sacred 
rites  could  not  be  dispensed  with.  During  the 
winter  the  priests  gathered  a  quantity  of  wild 
grapes,  pressed  out  the  juice,  and  put  away  in  the 
sacramental  cask  for  future  use.  This  wine  an- 
swered the  purpose  very  well  so  long  as  the 
weather  remained  cool,  but  during  the  summer  it 
soured  and  became  unfit  for  use.  When  the  time 
came  to  administer  the  sacrament  Tonti,  the  three 
soldiers  with  their  wives,  Chassagoac  and  family, 
with  a  few  of  his  friends,  were  assembled  in  the 
council-house  on  the  Sabbath  day  to  receive  the 
sacred  embiems.  Father  Gabriel,  wrapped  in  his 
long  black  robe,  with  a  gold  cross  suspended  from 
his  neck,  preached  to  them,  telling  them  of  Christ, 
of  the  Virgin,  of  the  apostles,  saints,  and  of  the 
kingdom  to  come.  After  preaching  all  knelt  around 
the  altar,  engaged  in  prayer,  while  Father  Gabriel 
made  preparations  to  administer  the  sacrament,  but 
was  horrified  to  find  the  wine  sour,  and  the  miracle 
of  transubstantiation,  that  is,  converting  the  wine 
into  the  real  blood  of  Christ,  could  not  be  per- 
formed, consequently  the  sacramental  service  for  the 
present  had  to  be  dispensed  with. 


RECEPTION    OF    EVIL    TIDINGS.  65 

Time  hung  heavy  with  the  French,  days  and 
weeks  passed  away,  spring  was  gone,  the  summer 
almost  ended,  and  still  no  news  from  La  Salle.  In 
an  Indian  village,  where  there  is  neither  hunting, 
war  parties  to  fit  out,  nor  national  festivals  to  keep 
rip  an  excitement,  it  has  a^dull,  monotonous  appear- 
ance. Warriors  lay  under  shade-trees  sleeping,  or 
amusing  themselves  in  games  of  chance,  while 
squaws  were  at  work  in  cornfields,  or  preparing  food 
for  their  families.  Naked  papooses  were  playing 
on  the  green  or  rolling  in  the  dirt,  while  young 
maidens  with  their  lovers  were  gathering  flowers  in 
the  grove,  fishing  on  the  river  bank,  or  rowing  their 
canoes  across  its  waters,  unconscious  of  the  great 
calamity  that  was  about  to  befall  them. 

RECEPTION  OF  EVIL  TIDINGS. 

It  was  near  the  close  of  a  warm  day  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  summer  when  a  scout  arrived  with  his 
pony  in  a  foam  of  sweat,  shouting  at  the  top  of  his 
voice  that  the  Iroquois  were  marching  against  the 
town.  All  was  now  excitement  and  confusion, 
squaws  screamed,  papooses  quit  their  plays  on  the 
green  and  ran  away  to  their  homes,  warriors  caught 
their  weapons,  and  preparations  for  defense.  The 
warriors  greased  their  bodies,  painted  their  faces, 
and  ornamented  their  heads  with  turkey  feathers, 


66  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

and  spent  the  night  in  singing  and  dancing.  Morn- 
ing at  last  came,  and  with  it  came  the  savage  Iro- 
quois  armed  with  rifles  and  other  implements  of  war- 
fare. On  receiving  notice  of  the  approaching  enemy 
a  crowd  of  excited  savages  collected  around  Tonti 
and  his  three  companions,  whom  they  had  previously 
suspected  of  treachery,  and  charged  them  with  being 
in  league  with  the  Iroquois.  A  report  having 
reached  them  that  a  number  of  Jesuit  priests  and 
La  Salle  himself  were  with  the  enemy  leading  them  on 
to  the  town.  The  enraged  warriors  seized  the  black- 
smith forge  tools,  with  all  the  goods  belonging  to  the 
French,  and  threw  them  into  the  river.  One  of  the 
warriors  caught  Tonti  by  the  hair  of  the  head,  and 
raised  his  tomahawk  to  split  open  his  skull,  but  a 

0 

friendly  chief  caught  the  savage  by  the  arm,  and 
thereby  his  life  was  spared.  Tonti,  with  boldness 
and  self  possession  which  was  characteristic  of  him, 
defended  himself  against  these  charges,  and  in  order 
to  convince  them  of  his  good  faith  offered  to  accom- 
pany them  to  battle. 

Fathers  Gabriel  and  Zenobe  at  the  time  of  the 
alarm  were  away  at  their  altar  spending  the  day 
in  prayer  and  meditation,  and  had  no  warning  of 
the  danger  that  awaited  them.  On  their  return 
home  late  at  night  they  were  surprised  to  find  the 
town  in  a  whirlpool  of  excitement,  squaws  crying, 


RECEPTION    OF    EVIL    TIDINGS.  67 

bewailing  their  fate,  warriors  dancing,  yelling,  bran- 
dishing their  war-clubs  to  keep  up  their  courage, 
and  offering  up  sacrifices  to  the  Manitou  of  battle. 
On  the  arrival  of  the  two  priests  the  savages  charged 
them  with  treachery,  and  of  being  the  cause  of 
the  Iroquois  invading  their  country.  The  priests 
with  uplifted  hands  called  God  to  witness  their  inno- 
cence of  the  charge,  but  their  denial  did  not  change 
the  minds  of  the  excited  Indians.  A  loud  clamor 
was  raised  for  their  blood,  when  a  number  of  war- 
riors sprang  forward  with  uplifted  tomahawks  to 
slay  them,  but  as  they  drew  nigh  and  about  to  strike 
the  fatal  blow  Father  Gabriel  drew  from  his  bosom 
a  small  gold  image  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  and  held 
it  before  the  faces  of  the  would-be  murderers.  On 
seeing  this  sacred  talisman  in  the  hands  of  the  priest 
the  executioners  paused  a  moment,  and  then 
returned  their  tomahawks  to  their  belts.  Father 
Zenobe  in  after  years  said  this  was  only  one  of  the 
many  instances  of  the  Holy  Virgin  protecting  the 
Jesuits  of  North  America. 

During  the  night  all  the  squaws  and  papooses, 
with  the  aged  warriors  unable  to  bear  arms,  were 
placed  in  canoes  and  taken  down  the  river  about 
three  leagues,  to  a  large,  marshy  island.  About  sixty 
warriors  were  left  here  for  their  protection,  and  all 
of  them  secreted  themselves  among  the  reeds  and 


68  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

high  grass,  but  the  sequel  shows  their  hiding  place 
was  discovered  by  the  enemy,  and  this  place  of  sup- 
posed safety  became  their  tomb. 

BATTLE  AND  MASSACRE. 

At  the  time  of  the  Iroquois  invasion  there  were 
only  about  five  hundred  warriors  in  La  Yantum, 
the  head  chief,  Chassagoac,  and  a  portion  of  his 
braves  having  gone  to  a  distant  village  for  the  pur- 
pose of  attending  a  religious  feast.  But  this  band, 
small  as  it  was,  boldly  crossed  the  river  at  daylight 
and  met  the  enemy,  whose  number  was  five  times 
their  own.  While  they  were  ascending  the  bluft  a 
scout  met  them  saying  the  enemy  were  crossing  the 
prairie  close  at  hand,  and  as  the  invaders  approached 
the  river  timber  they  were  surprised  to  meet  the 
Illinoisans  who  were  lying  in  ambush,  and  received 
them  with  a  deadly  fire.  At  this  unexpected  attack 
the  Iroquois  were  panic-stricken,  and  fled  from  the 
field,  leaving  the  ground  covered  with  their  dead 
and  wounded.  But  they  soon  rallied  and  the  fight 
became  bloody,  arrows  and  rifle  balls  flying  thick 
and  fast,  while  the  woods  far  and  near  resounded 
with  the  wild  whoops  of  contending  savages.  In 
the  midst  of  the  fight  Tonti  undertook  the  perilous 
task  of  mediating  between  the  contending  parties. 
Laying  aside  his  gun,  and  taking  a  wampum  belt  in 


BATTLE    AND    MASSACRE.  69 

his  hand,  holding  it  above  his  head  as  a  flag  of  truce, 
and  amid  showers  of  arrows  and  rifle  balls,  he 
walked  boldly  forward  to  meet  the  enemy.  As  he 
approached  the  Iroquois  warriors  collected  around 
him  in  a  threatening  manner,  one  of  whom  at- 
tempted to  stab  him  to  the  heart,  but  the  knife 
striking  a  rib  made  only  a  long,  shallow  gash.  As 
the  savage  was  about  to  repeat  the  blow,  a  chief 
came  up,  and  seeing  the  victim  was  a  white  man,, 
protected  him  from  further  assaults,  and  applied  a 
bandage  to  the  wound  to  stop  the  bleeding.  The 
fighting  having  ceased,  a  warrior  took  Tonti's  hat, 
and  placing  it  on  the  muzzle  of  his  gun  started 
toward  the  Illinoisans,  who  on  seeing  it  supposed 
the  owner  was  killed,  and  again  renewed  the  fight. 
While  the  battle  was  raging  a  warrior  reported  that 
three  French  men,  armed  with  guns,  were  with  the 
Illinoisans  and  firing  on  them.  On  making  this  an- 
nouncement the  Iroquois  warriors  became  enraged 
at  Tonti,  and  again  gathered  around  him,  some  for 
killing  and  others  for  protection.  One  of  the  war- 
riors caught  him  by  the  hair  of  his  head,  raising  it 
up,  and  with  his  long  knife  was  about  to  take  off  his 
scalp,  when  Tonti,  with  his  iron  hand,  knocked 
down  his  assailant.  Others  attacked  Tonti  with 
knives  and  tomahawks,  but  he  was  again  rescued 
from  death  by  the  principal  war  chief.  For  a  long 


70  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

time  the  battle  raged  with  fearful  strife,  many  of  the 
combatants  on  both  sides  being  slain,  but  at  last  the 
Illinoisans  were  overpowered  and  driven  from  the 
field.  The  vanquished  fled  to  their  town  with  the 
intention  of  defending  it  or  perish  in  the  attempt. 

On  the  river  bank,  near  the  center  of  the  town, 
stood  their  great  council-house,  surrounded  by  earth- 
works and  stockades,  forming  a  kind  of  fortification. 
To  this  place  the  remnant  of  the  warriors  fled,  and 
in  great  haste  tore  down  some  of  the  lodges  and 
used  the  material  in  strengthening  their  works  of 
defense. 

The  Illinoisans  had  crossed  the  river  in  canoes, 
but  their  pursuers,  having  no  means  of  crossing  at 
this  point,  were  obliged  to  go  up  the  river  to  the 
rapids  to  ford  it.  In  a  short  time  the  enemy  attacked 
the  town,  setting  fire  to  lodges  and  fortifications, 
which  were  soon  a  mass  of  flames.  Many  of  the 
besieged  were  burned,  others  slain  or  made  prisoners 
as  they  escaped  from  the  flames,  and  only  a  few 
succeeded  in  making  their  escape. 

When  the  victory  was  completed  the  conquerors 
bound  the  prisoners  hand  and  foot,  and  commenced 
torturing  them  to  make  them  reveal  the  hiding  place 
of  the  squaws  and  papooses,  and  on  obtaining  the 
necessary  information  a  party  of  warriors  went  in 
search  of  them.  While  these  defenseless  beings 


BATTLE   AND    MASSACRE.  71 

were  secreted  among  the  reeds  and  sage  grass  of 
the  island,  they  were  discovered  by  the  savage  Iro- 
quois,  and  all  of  them  slain.  The  sixty  warriors 
left  as  guards  fled  on  approach  of  the  enemy,  and 
some  of  them  succeeded  in  making  their  escape. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

t 

TORTURING  PRISONERS. 

» 

ON  the  following  day  after  the  battle  the  victors 
made  preparations  to  torture  the  prisoners,  and 
their  acts  of  barbarity  probably  have  never  been 
equaled  by  any  other  savages  of  the  west.  The 
warriors  were  formed  into  a  large  circle,  and  the 
prisoners,  bound  hand  and  foot,  conveyed  thither ; 
when  the  work  <>f.  torture  commenced  the  doomed 
victims  were  seated  on  the  ground  awaiting  their  fate, 
some  of  whom  were  weeping  or  praying,  others  en- 
gaged in  singing  their  death  song.  The  executioner, 
with  his  long  knife,  cut  off  the  nose  and  ears  and 
pieces  of  flesh  from  the  body  while  the  prisoners  sat 
writhing  with  agony,  and  the  ground  around  them 
red  with  human  gore.  This  work  of  torture  contin- 
ued for  some  time,  limbs  and  pieces  of  flesh  were  cut 
from  different  parts  of  the  body,  and  in  some  cases 
the  bowels  were  taken  out  and  trailed  on  the  ground, 
while  the  groans  and  screams  of  the  victims  in  their 
agonies  of  death  were  terrible  to  witness.  Tonti 
and  his  companions  looked  on  in  horror  at  these 

72 


DEATH  OF  FATHER  GABRIEL.         73 

barbarous  acts  of  the  Iroquois,  but  dare  not  remon- 
strate, as  they,  too,  were  prisoners,  and  did  not  know 
but  a  like  fate  awaited  them. 

While  the  torture  was  going  on  the  two  priests 
were  engaged  in  baptising  tl  e  victims  in  order  to 
absolve  them  from  past  sins,  and  as  each  one  was 
about  to  expire  they  held  the  crucifix  before  his 
eyes  so  he  might  look  on  it  while  giving  up  the  ghost, 
and  through  its  divine  efficacy  his  soul  would  be 
saved  from  perdition. 

When  the  prisoners  were  all  dead  the  warriors 
cut  out  their  hearts,  roasted  and  ate  them  so  as  to 
make  them  brave. 

For  a  number  of  days  the  Iroquois  continued  to 
rejoice  over  their  victory,  spending  the  time  in  sing- 
ing and  dancing  around  the  scalps,  causing  the 
timbers  and  surrounding  bluff  to  re-echo  with  their 
wild  whoops  and  yells. 

DEATH  OF  FATHER  GABRIEL. 

Two  days  after  the  Iroquois'  victory,  the  French 
were  set  at  liberty,  and  they  departed  eastward  in 
an  old  leaky  canoe.  After  going  about  six  leagues, 
they  stopped  at  the  mouth  of  a  creek  to  repair  the 
canoe  and  dry  their  clothing;  while  thus  engaged, 
Father  Gabriel,  who  was  always  fond  of  solitude, 
wandered  off  among  the  thick  timber  for  the  purpos6 


74  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

of  prayer  and  meditation.  When  the  canoe  was 
repaired,  clothes  dried,  and  the  time  of  departure 
came,  Father  Gabriel  being  absent  search  was  made 
for  him,  but  he  could  not  be  found.  During  the 
night  fires  were  kept  burning  along  the  river  bank, 
and  guns  discharged  to  direct  him  to  camp,  but  all 
in  vain.  During  the  tollowing  day  they  searched 
the  woods  far  and  near  for  the  missing  priest,  but  all 
to  no  purpose,  so  they  gave  him  up  for  lost,  and 
continued  on  their  journey.  For  clays  they  mourned 
the  loss  of  the  holy  father,  as  he  was  an  old  man  of 
nearly  three  score  and  ten,  and  much  devoted  to  the 
interest  of  the  church. 

It  was  afterward  ascertained  that  Father  Gabriel 
was  taken  prisoner  by  Indians,  carried  off  to  their 
camp  to  be  executed,  and  while  his  friends  were 
searching  for  him  these  savages  were  dancing  around 
his  scalp.  While  Father  Gabriel  was  at  prayer  in 
the  thick  timber  two  Indians  approached  him  in  a 
threatening  manner,  and  with  his  head  uncovered 
he  arose  to  meet  them.  In  vain  he  told  the  savages 
that  he  was  their  friend,  having  come  from  afar 
across  the  big  waters  to  teach  them  in  the  ways  of 
truth  and  happiness;  but  regardless  of  his  entreaties, 
they  bound  his  hands  behind  his  back  and  led  him 
off  a  prisoner  to  their  camp.  A  council  was  held 
over  the  captive,  and  it  was  decided  that  he  should 


A    SCENE    OF    HORROE.  75 

die.  A  stake  was  driven  into  the  ground,  and 
Father  Gabriel,  with  his  hands  and  feet  pinioned, 
tied  to  it.  Here  he  sat  on  the  ground,  bound  to  the 
stake,  with  his  long  hair  and  flowing  beard,  whitened 
with  the  snows  of  seventy  winters,  waving  to  and 
fro  in  the  wind.'  The  Indians  formed  a  circle  around 
their  victim,  singing  and  dancing,  and  under  re- 
peated blows  of  the  war-club  he  fell  to  the  ground 
and  expired.  Thus  perished  Father  Gabriel,  the 
only  heir  of  a  wealthy  I'urgundian  house,  who  had 
given  i.p  a  life  of  ease  and  comfort  in  the  old  world 
to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  heathens  of  the  west, 
and  who,  at  last,  became  his  murderers. 

Four  years  after  the  tragedy  above  narrated  a 
trader  at  Fort  St.  Louis  bought  of  an  Indian  a 
small  gold  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  with  Father 
Gabriel's  name  engraved  thereon.  This  image  had 
been  presented  to  the  holy  father  by  the  bishop  of 
Normandy,  on  the  day  he  sailed  for  America,  and 
he  had  carried  it  in  his  bosom  near  his  heart  until 
the  day  of  his  death.  Many  years  after  the  recovery 
of  this  golden  image  it  was  carried  back  to  France, 
and  is  now  to  be  seen  in  the  museum  of  Rouen. 

A  SCENE  OF  HORROR. 

It  was  midwinter,  three  months  after  the  mas- 
sacre of  the  Illinois  Indians,  when  La  Salle  with 


76  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

twelve  companions  returned  from  Canada  to  I6ok 
after  his  little  colony,  on  the  Illinois  River.  As  the 
canoes  passed  rapidly  down  the  swollen  stream  the 
eyes  of  the  travelers  were  directed  to  Starved  Rock, 
where  they  expected  to  tind  Tonti  within  his  fortifi- 
cation. But  no  palisades  were  there;  no  smoke 
ascended  from  its  summit,  nor  signs  of  human  habita- 
tion could  be  seen.  Passing  down  the  rapid  current 
a  mile  and  a  half,  the  travelers  were  surprised  to  find 
the  great  town  of  the  west  had  disappeared.  The 
large  meadow  formerly  covered  with  lodges  and 
camping-tents,  and  swarming  with  human  beings, 
was  now  a  lonely  waste,  a  fit  representative  of  death 
and  desolation.  On  the  charred  poles  which  had 
formed  the  framework  of  lodges  were  many  human 
heads  partly  robbed  of  flesh  by  birds  of  prey.  Packs 
of  wolves  fled  at  their  approach,  and  flocks  of  buz- 
zards raised  from  their  hideous  repast  and  flew 
squawking  away  to  distant  trees.  E\  en  the  bury  ing- 
grounds  showed  marks  of  the  vindictive  malice  of 
the  victors  having  made  war  on  the  dead  as  well  as 
the  living.  Graves  had  been  opened  and  bones 
taken  out  and  piled  up  in  heaps,  or  broken  into  frag- 
ments and  scattered  about  over  the  prairie.  The 
scaffold  containing  the  dead  had  been  torn  down 
and  their  contents  thrown  hither  and  thither  on  the 
meadow.  Everywhere  the  ground  was  strewn  with 


A    SCENE    OF    HORROR.  77 

mangled  bodies  and  broken  bones  of  the  unfortunate 
Illinoisans. 

In  the  midst  of  the  ruins  the  conquerors  had 
erected  an  altar  to  the  god  of  war,  and  the  poles  sur- 
rounding it  were  capped  with  heads  of  victims,  whose 
long  hair  and  ghastly  features  were  sickening  to  look 
on.  The  stench  arising  from  putrefaction  was  so 
offensive,  and  the  scene  so  horrifying,  that  La  Salle 
and  his  party  turned  away  from  it  and  encamped  for 
the  night  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  During 
the  long  winter  night  the  loneliness  was  made  in- 
tolerable by  the  howling  of  wolves,  and  buzzards 
winging  their  way  back  and  forth  through  the  dark 
domain. 

On  the  following  morning  La  Salle  returned  to 
the  ancient  town  and  examined  the  skulls  of  many 
of  the  victims  to  see  if  he  could  find  among  them 
the  remains  of  Tonti  and  his  party,  but  they  all  ap- 
peared to  have  been  the  heads  of  Indians.  On  the 
bank  of  the  river  were  planted  six  posts  painted 
red,  and  on  each  of  these  was  a  figure  of  a  man 
drawn  in  white.  La  Salle  believed  these  figures 
represented  six  white  men,  prisoners  in  the  hands 
of  the  Indians,  it  being  the  number  of  Tonti's  party. 

La  Salle  and  his  comrades  again  boarded  their 
canoes  and  started  down  the  river,  hoping  to  learn 
something  in  relation  to  the  fate  of  their  country- 


V8  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS, 

men,  but  nothing  was  discovered.  As  the  travelers 
passed  down  the  river  they  saw  on  the  island  where 
the  squaws  and  papooses  had  taken  refuge  many 
human  figures  standing  erect  but  motionless.  With 
great  caution  they  landed  from  their  canoes  to  ex- 
amine these  figures,  and  found  them  to  be  partly 
consumed  bodies  of  squaws  who  had  been  bound  to 
a  stake  and  then  burned.  Fires  had  been  made  at 
their  feet,  consuming  the  flesh  off  their  legs  and 
crisping  their  bodies,  but  leaving  the  remains  bound 
to  the  stake,  standing  erect  as  though  in  life.  Poles 
were  stuck  into  the  marsh  and  papooses  placed 
thereon,  while  others  were  hanging  by  the  neck 
from  limbs  of  trees,  with  the  flesh  partly  eaten  off 
their  bodies  by  birds  of  prey.  The  sight  of  these 
dead  bodies  was  so  revolting  to  look  upon  that  the 
French  turned  away  from  them  in  horror,  and  con- 
tinued on  their  way  down  the  river. 

STARVED  ROCK. 

This  remarkable  rock  is  so  closely  identified  with 
the  early  history  of  the  Illinois  country,  and  so 
often  referred  to  in  our  story,  the  reader  will  par- 
don me  for  this  digression  from  the  narrative  in 
describing  it. 

On  the  south  bank  of  the  Illinois  River,  eight 
miles  below  Ottawa,  and  near  the  foot  of  the  rapids, 


STARVED    ROCK.  79 

is  a  remarkable  cliff  known  as  Starved  Rock.  This 
rocky  cliff  rises  almost  perpendicularly  from  the 
water's  edge  to  the  height  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty-six  feet,  and  is  separated  from  neighboring 
cliffs  by  a  wide  chasm,  which  shows  signs  of  hav- 
ing been  produced  by  some  convulsion  of  nature. 
Three  sides  of  this  rock  rise  like  a  watch-tower,  but 
the  fourth,  side,  next  to  the  bluff,  recedes  inward, 
and  at  one  place  can  be  ascended  by  a  steep,  rocky 
pathway.  The  walls  of  this  cliff  consist  of  grey 
sandstone,  partly  hid  by  forest  trees,  and  when 
viewed  from  a  distance  has  the  appearance  of  an 
old  castle  of  feudal  times. 

Starved  Rock  is  of  a  circular  form,  and  in  view- 
ing it  from  every  standpoint  it  has  a  bold,  majestic 
appearance.  On  the  north  side,  next  to  the  river, 
the  cliff  is  perpendicular,  rising  in  towering  masses, 
one  rock  upon  the  other,  and  overlooking  the  rapid 
stream  which  flows  at  its  base.  In  some  places  the 
walls  of  this  cliff  are  smooth,  and  thick  layers  of 
rock  look  like  the  work  of  art,  while  at  other  places 
they  are  rough  with  overhanging  crags,  under  which 
are  many  dark,  dismal  looking  caverns,  at  one  time 
the  abode  of  wild  animals.  Out  of  the  many  crev- 
ices in  the  rocks  stunted  cedars  grow,  and  under 
their  branches  can  be  seen  patches  of  cactus  and 
mountain  ivy. 


80  PIONEEES    OF   ILLINOIS. 

The  summit  of  Starved  Rock  contains  about 
three-fourths  of  an  acre,  some  of  it  smooth  sand- 
stone, on  which  are  engraved  many  names  of  visit- 
ors; but  the  larger  portion  is  covered  by  earth,  with 
grass  and  small  evergreen  trees  growing  thereon. 
Here,  by  the  river  side,  stands  this  high,  isolated 
rock,  the  same  as  it  stood  centuries  ago,  overlooking 
the  broad  plain  below  and  the  many .  wood-clad 
islands  which  divide  the  swift  current  of  the  Illinois 
River,  and  here  it  will  continue  to  stand,  a  monu- 
ment of  past  ages  and  the  admiration  of  the  present. 
Its  bold,  towering  walls,  its  high,  majestic  summit,  and 
its  isolated  position,  make  it  the  most  picturesque 
object  on  the  Illinois  River,  and  for  historic  remini- 
scences it  is  without  a  parallel  in  the  western  country. 

The  view  from  the  summit  of  Starved  Rock  is 
very  fine,  and  will  remind  a  person  of  a  grand  land- 
scape painting  or  a  beautiful  panorama.  To  the 
north  and  west  is  a  large  bottom  prairie,  bounded 
on  each  side  by  bluffs  covered  with  forest  trees. 
Through  tlys  great  meadow  flows  the  Illinois  River, 
which  can  be  seen  many  miles  distant  winding  about 
in  its  serpentine  course.  On  looking  down  into  the 
river  at  the  base  of  the  rock  catfish  and  turtles  can 
be  seen  sporting  over  the  sand  and  rocks  in  the 
clear,  shallow  stream,  while  shoals  of  pike  and  red 
horse  ascend  the  swift  current. 


STARVED    ROCK.  81 

By  the  early  French  explorers  Starved  Rock, 
known  as  Le  Rocher,  has  figured  extensively  in  the 
early  history  of  western  discoveries.  Two  centuries 
ago  La  Salle  built  a  fort  on  its  summit,  the  relics  of 
which  are  still  to  be  seen,  and  around  this  fort  was 

1 

clustered  the  first  colony  in  the  Mississippi  Valley. 
The  summit  of  this  rock  was  at  one  time  the  abode 
of  gay  and  joyous  French,  where  balls,  gay  parties 
and  wine  suppers  were  held,  and  here,  too,  was 
heard,  morning  and  evening,  the  songs  of  praise 
from  the  lips  of  devout  Jesuit  priests.  At  another 
time  it  was  a  scene  of  strife,  carnage  and  desola- 
tion, stained  with  human  blood  and  covered  with 
the  bodies  of  the  slain.  Of  late  years  pleasure 
parties  have  frequent  dances  on  this  rock;  but  they 
do  not  consider  that  here  was  once  the  dance  of 
death,  where  the  infant,  the  mother,  the  young 
maiden,  the  brave  warrior  and  aged  chief  suffered 
ami  died,  and  their  bones,  bleached  white  by  rain 
and  sun,  could  be  seen  for  many  years  afterward. 
Two  hundred  years  has  made  but  little  change 
in  the  appearance  of  Starved  Rock.  The  same  fort- 
like  walls  remain,  and  probably  the  same  stunted 
cedars .  crown  its  summit ;  but  the  surroundings 
have  undergone  a  great  change.  The  great  meadow 
which  it  overlooks,  once  covered  with  grass  and 
wild  flowers,  and  sometimes  blackened  with  herds 


82  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

of  buffalo,  is  now  occupied  by  farms  in  close  suc- 
cession. To  the  north,  across  the  wide  bottom 
prairie,  is  seen  the  village  of  Utica,  with  its  cement 
mills  and  warehouses,  by  the  side  of  which  pass 
the  canal  and  railroad.  To  the  west,  five  miles^ 
below  but  in  plain  view,  are  the  flourishing  cities 
of  Peru  and  La  Salle,  with  their  church  steeples 
glittering  in  the  sunbeams.  Steam  and  canal  boats 
are  seen  in  the  river,  and  trains  of  cars  passing  and 
repassing  on  the  different  railroads.  Evidences  of 
agriculture,  commerce  and  civilization  are  now  seen 
from  the  summit  of  this  rock,  and  the  familiar 
peals  of  church  and  school  bells  are  heard,  instead 
ot  the  wild  war-whoop  of  savages  while  engaged  in 
a  bloody  strife,  leaving  the  great  meadow  below 
strewn  with  the  dead,  as  in  former  times. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BUILDING  OF  FORT  ST.  LOUIS. 

LA  SALLE  met  Tonti  and  his  comrades  at  Macki 
naw,  and  with  them  descended  the  Mississippi 
to  its  mouth,  after  which  they  returned  to  build  a  fort 
on  the  Illinois  River.  In  the  fall  of  1682  La  Salle, 
with  about  forty  soldiers  under  his  command,  built  a 
fort  on  the  summit  of  Starved  Rock.  The  place  of 
ascending  this  rock  was  improved  by  breaking  off 
projecting  crags  and  cutting  steps  in  the  steep,  rocky 
pathway.  The  stunted  cedars  that  crowned  the 
summit  were  cut  away  to  make  room  for  fortifica- 
tions, and  the  margin  of  the  rock  for  about  two- 
thirds  of  its  circumference  was  encircled  by  earth- 
works. Timbers  were  cut  on  the  river  bottom 
below,  and  by  hand  dragged  up  the  stair-like  pathway 
to  build  a  block-house,  store-house  and  dwelling,  also 
to  protect  a  large  portion  of  the  summit  of  the  rock 
with  palisades.  They  built  a  platform  on  the  trunk 
of  two  leaning  cedars  which  grew  on  the  margin  of 
the  cliff,  on  which  a  windlass  was  placed  to  draw 
water  out  of  the  river  to  supply  the  garrison.  The 


84  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

two  small  cannon  brought  from  Canada  in  a  canoe 
were  mounted  on  the  wooden  ramparts,  and  all  the 
arms,  stores,  etc.,  belonging  to  the  French,  were 
carried  here  and  placed  within  the  stockades.  When 
the  fort  was  completed,  and  the  French  flag  swung  to 
the  breeze,  the  cannons  fired  three  salutes  in  honor  of 
Louis  XIV,  and  all  the  soldiers  shouted  vive  le  roi. 

The  fort  was  named  St  Louis  or  Rock  Fort,  and 
in  its  dedication  Father  Zenobe  called  on  the  Hoi  j 
Virgin  to  bless  and  keep  it  in  the  true  faith,  and 
protect  it  from  the  enemies  of  the  cross. 

From  the  wooden  ramparts  of  Fort  St.  Louis, 
which  were  as  high  and  almost  as  inaccessible  as  an 
eagle's  nest,  the  French  could  look  down  on  the 
Indian  town  below,  and  also  on  the  great  meadow 
which  lay  spread  out  before  them  like  a  map.  Two 
years  before  this  meadow  was  the  scene  of  carnage, 
a  waste  of  death  and  desolation,  blackened  by  fire,  and 
strewn  with  the  ghastly  remains  of  the  slain  in  the 
Iroquois  victory.  But  now  it  was  changed:  Indians 
to  the  number  of  six  thousand  had  returned,  and  the 
river  bank  for  a  mile  in  extent  was  covered  with 
lodges.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  of  other  villages 
came  here  to  trade,  bringing  with  them  venison,  buf- 
falo meat,  furs,  pelts,  etc.,  to  exchange  for  goods. 
At  one  time  there  were  encamped  around  the  fort 
not  less  than  twenty  thousand  Indians,  who  came 


TRADE    WITH    THE    INDIANS.  85 

here  to  trade  and  seek  protection  from  their  much 
dreaded  enemies,  the  Iroquois.  Emigrants  from  Can- 
ada came  here  and  built  cabins  near  the  fort,  some  of 
whom  married  squaws,  lived  in  the  village  with  the 
Indians,  and  adopted  their  dress,  habits  and  cus- 
toms. The  colony  was  called  Louisiana,  in  honor  of 
the  king  of  France,  and  according  to  maps  drawn  at 
that  time  it  included  all  of  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

TRADE  WITH  THE  INDIANS. 

La  Salle  being  now  established  within  his  stockades 
he  turned  his  attention  to  trading  with  the  Indians, 
supplying  them  with  goods,  and  taking  furs  in  ex- 
change. He  claimed  dominion  over  all  the  country 
west  of  the  lakes  by  virtue  of  his  patent,  and  he 
divided  it  out  among  his  friends  by  giving  them  per- 
mits to  trade  with  the  Indians.  He  authorized 
Richard  Bosley  to  establish  a  trading  pose  at  Caho- 
kia,  and  Phillip  de  Beuro  one  at  Green  Bay,  but 
compelled  them  to  pay  him  a  royalty  on  all  goods 
sold  and  furs  bought. 

Indians  from  different  parts  of  the  country  came 
to  the  fort  for  the  purpose  of  trade,  carrying  with 
them  large  quantities  of  furs,  which  were  exchanged 
for  goods  at  a  large  profit  to  the  trader.  Toma- 
hawks, axes,  knives,  etc.,  made  of  flint,  were  super- 
seded by  those  of  steel,  guns  took  the  place  of  bows 


86  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

arid  arrows,  and  blankets  as  a  wearing  apparel  the 
place  of  heavy  buffalo  robes.  Blankets  worth  three 
dollars  in  Montreal  would  bring  one  hundred  dollars 
in  furs,  and  a  tomahawk  that  cost  fifty  cents  sold  for 
twenty  dollars  among  the  Indians. 

LA  SALLE'S  SUCCESS,  FAILURE  AND  DEATH. 

Two  years  after  Fort  St.  Louis  was  built  La  Salle, 
leaving  Tonti  in  command,  returned  to  Canada,  and 
from  thence  sailed  for  France.  Obtaining  assistance 
from  the  court  of  France  La  Salle  in  the  following 
year,  with  three  ships  loaded  with  emigrants,  sailed 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  River,  with  the  in- 
tention of  establishing  a  colony  there.  Being 
unsuccessful  in  finding  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi 
he  landed  in  Texas,  and  while  traveling  across  the 
country  on  his  way  to  the  colony  on  the  Illinois 
was  assassinated  by  his  own  men. 

In  the  summer  of  1686  Tonti  with  forty  men.  in 
canoes,  descended  the  river  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  in 
search  of  La  Salle,  but  found  no  traces  of  him. 
Again  in  1669  he  made  a  like  tour  in  search  of  the 
remnant  of  the  colony,  and  for  the  purpose  of  finding 
the  bones  of  the  great  explorer  in  order  to  carry 
them  back  with  him  to  Fort  St.  Louis,  but  this  ex- 
pedition, like  the  first  one,  proved  a  failure. 

Although  La  Salle  was  dead  his  colony  on  the 


FORT  ST.  LOUIS  ATTACKED  BY  IROQUOIS.         87 

Illinois  River  continued  to  flourish,  and  the  fur 
trade  became  a  source  of  great  wealth.  For  eighteen 
years  this  trade  was  conducted  by  Tonti  and  La- 
Frost,  the  former  living  at  Fort  St.  Louis,  and  the 
latter  in  Canada. 

FORT  ST.  LOUIS  ATTACKED  BY  IROQUOIS. 

Two  years  after  the  building  of  Fort  St.  Louis  it 
was  attacked  by  two  thousand  Iroquois  warriors,  and 
by  them  held  in  siege  six  days.  At  that  time  Tonti 
was  in  command  of  the  fort,  which  contained  only 
fifty  soldiers  and  one  hundred  Indian  allies,  and 
with  this  small  force  he  put  the  besiegers  to  flight. 

On  a  bright,  clear  day  in  the  latter  part  of  May 
the  great  meadow  was  green  with  grass,  intermixed 
with  flowers  of  various  hues,  the  forest  trees  were  in 
full  leaf,  and  the  air  made  fragrant  with  blossoms  of 
the  wild  plum  a  id  crab-apple.  Birds  were  singing 
among  the  branches  of  trees,  and  squirrels  chirping 
in  the  thick  river  timber,  while  at  a  distance  was 
heard  the  musical  notes  of  the  robin  and  meadow- 
lark.  In  the  shade  of  willows  and  outspreading 
elms,  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  lay  the  doe  and 
her  fawn,  lulled  to  slumber  by  the  hum  of  the  wild 
bee  and  grasshopper.  All  was  quiet  at  Fort  St. 
Louis,  and  the  occupants  were  delighted  with  the 
beauty  of  the  surrounding  scenery.  To  the  west,  in 


88  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

plain  view,  lay  the  great  town  of  LaVantum,  with  its 
hundreds  of  lodges  built  along  the  bank  of  the  river, 
and  around  which  were  passing  masses  of  human 
beings.  On  the  race-track  above  the  town  warriors 
mounted  on  ponies  were  practicing  horsemanship, 
while  far  in  the  distance  squaws  were  seen  at  work 
in  their  corn  fields  or  gathering  greens  for  the  family 
meal. 

It  was  Sabbath  morning,  the  fourth  after  Easter; 
all  the  inmates  of  the  fort  were  dressed  in  their  best 
apparel  and  seated  under  the  shade  of  cedars 
awaiting  religious  services.  Father  Zenobe,  dressed 
in  his  long  black  robe,  with  a  large  gold  cross  hang- 
ing from  his  neck,  was  about  to  commence  services 
when  a  lone  Indian  was  seen  on  the  bottom  prairie 
going  westward,  and  urging  his  pony  forward  at  the 
top  of  its  speed.  Father  Zenobe  after  concluding  his 
sermon  was  about  to  administer  the  sacrament  when 
the  sentinel  at  the  gate  fired  his  gun  to  give  an 
alarm.  At  this  unexpected  signal  the  meeting  broke 
up,  and  every  one  ran  to  his  post  thinking  the  fort 
was  about  to  be  attacked.  On  looking  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  town  everything  appeared  in  commotion, 
warriors  mounted  on  ponies  riding  back  and  forth  at 
full  gallop,  squaws  and  papooses  running  hither  and 
thither  in  wild  confusion,  drums  beating,  chiefs  yell- 
ing in  giving  command,  while  the  cries  and  lamenta- 


FORT  ST.  LOUIS  ATTACKED  BY  IROQUOIS.         89 

tions  of  the  frightened  people  could  be  heard  even 
at  the  fort.  Tonti,  with  three  companions,  came 
-down  from  the  fort,  boarded  a  canoe,  and  with  all 
haste  proceeded  down  the  river  to  ascertain  the 
cause  of  this  excitement,  when  the  mystery  was  ex- 
plained. 

A  scout  had  arrived  with  the  intelligence  that  a 
large  body  of  Iroquois  were  only  ten  leagues  distant, 
.and  marching  on  the  town.  The  tragedy  of  four 
years  previous  was  fresh  in  their  minds,  and  fearing 
a  like  result  caused  them  to  go  wild  with  terror. 
The  chiefs  and  warriors  collected  around  Tonti 
beseeching  him  to  protect  them  from  the  tomahawks 
.and  scalping  knives  of  their  enemies  in  accordance 
with  La  Salle's  promise.  In  reply  Tonti  said  his 
force  was  not  sufficient  to  afford  them  protection, 
but  advised  them  to  collect  their  warriors  and 
defend  the  town.  The  French  who  lived  in  the 
town  with  their  families,  and  a  few  Indian  friends, 
fled  to  the  fort,  while  the  inhabitants  being  panic- 
stricken  left  in  great  haste  down  the  river.  Soon 
after  their  departure  the  invaders  came,  but  found  a 
barren  victory,  as  not  one  living  soul  was  left  in  the 
town. 

When  the  Iroquois  found  their  intended  victims 
had  fled  they  attacked  the  fort,  and  held  it  in  siege 
six  days.  For  a  number  of  days  the  Indians  contin- 


90  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

ued  to  fire  on  the  fort  from  the  neighboring  cliffs, 
but  without  producing  any  effect.  The  occupants  of 
the  fort  not  returning  the  fire  emboldened  the  as- 
sailants, and  each  day  they  came  closer  and  secreted- 
themselves  in  the  timber  near  the  base  of  the  rock, 
with  the  intention,  no  doubt,  of  making  an  assault ; 
but  when  they  came  in  close  range  the  guns  were 
brought  to  bear  on  them,  receiving  the  fire  of'  both 
musket  and  cannon.  Many  were  killed,  others 
wounded,  while  the  survivors,  being  panic-stricken, 
fled  in  all  haste,  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded 
behind.  For  many  days  after  the  Indians  were 
repulsed  the  French  remained  within  their  fortifica- 
tions, and  did  n'ot  venture  down  from  the  rock  until 
convinced  that  the  enemy  had  left  the  country. 

No  Iroquois  Indians  were  ever  seen  in  that  vicin- 
ity afterward,  and  they  never  made  another  raid  on. 
the  Illinoisans. 

RETURN  OF  TONTI'S  VICTORIOUS  ARMY. 

In  1687  Tonti,  with  fifty  French  soldiers  and  two 
hundred  Illinois  warriors,  went  to  Canada  and 
joined  Gen.  Denonville  in  an  expedition  against  the 
Indians  south  of  Lake  Ontario.  This  army  was  vic- 
torious; many  towns  along  the  Mohawk  River  were 
burned,  and  a  large  number  of  scalps  taken.  After 
completing  the  victory  the  army  returned  to  Canada, 


RETURN  OF  TONTl's  VICTORIOUS  ARMY.         91 

when  Tonti  with  his  soldiers  and  Indian  allies  left 
for  Illinois.  On  their  return  they  were  accompanied 
by  a  number  of  emigrant  families,  among  whom  were 
wives,  sons  and  daughters  of  soldiers  and  fur 
traders  belonging  to  the  colony.  For  many  weeks 
the  voyageurs  in  their  bark  canoes  coasted  along  the 
lake  shores, —  at  night  dragging  their  frail  barks  on 
the  beech  and  sleeping  in  the  open  air.  On  reaching 
the  mouth  of  Chicago  River  they  ascended  it ;  then 
crossed  the  portage  into  Des  Plaines,  and  down  the 
Illinois  River  to  their  destination. 

It  was  a  bright,  clear  morning  in  midsummer,  the 
silver  rays  of  the  sun  reflected  from  the  rippling 
waters  of  the  river  as  it  glided  swiftly  by.  The 
fresh  morning  breeze  was  cooled  by  passing  through 
branches  of  forest  trees,  and  the  songs  of  birds  added 
enchantment  and  loveliness  to  the  surrounding 
scene.  The  occupants  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  after  the 
morning  prayer  and  an  exhortation  by  Father  Allo- 
uez,  were  collected  along  the  brink  of  the  rock 
watching  the  finny  tribe  as  they  sported  over  the 
sand  and  rocks  in  the  clear,  shallow  wafer.  While 
thus  engaged  they  were  startled  by  hearing  the 
sound  of  a  bugle  up  the  river,  and  on  looking  in 
that  direction  they  saw  the  broad  stream  covered 
with  canoes  all  filled  with  human  beings.  On  came 
this  fleet  of  canoes,  with  flags  flying,  drums  beating, 


92  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

:  and  the  loud  cheering  of  both  French  and  Indians 
announced  the  return  of  Tonti's  victorious  army. 
As  this  large  fleet  of  canoes  passed  rapidly  down  the 
swift  current  the  cannons  on  the  fort  boomed  forth 
loud  peals  of  welcome  to  returning  friends. 

There  was  great  rejoicing  at  Fort  St.  Louis, 
wives  and  children  of  soldiers  and  fur  traders  had 
come  thither  to  join  husbands  and  fathers  after 
many  years  of  separation,  and  the  meeting  was  an 
affecting  one. 

On  the  following  night  a  ball  and  wine  supper 
was  given  in  honor  of  the  occasion,  and  the  great 
hall  of  the  fort  rang  with  martial  music,  songs,  toasts, 
with  various  demonstrations  of  joy.  Ladies  from 
fashionable  society  of  Montreal  gave  an  air  of  refine- 
ment to  the  ball,  and  such  a  gay  party  was  never 
before  witnessed  in  the  wilds  of  the  west.  Much 
wine  was  drank,  the  sound  of  music  and  joyous 
laughter  of  the  dancers  rang  forth  on  the  clear  night 
air.  Father  Allouez,  having  spent  twenty  years 
among  savages  in  the  west  without  mingling  in 
refined  society,  became  so  overjoyed  by  the  gay 
party  and  effects  of  the  wine  that  he  passed  to  and 
fro  among  the  ladies,  encircling  their  waists  with  his 
arms  and  offering  to  bestow  his  blessings  upon 
them. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

LE  FORT  DES  MIAMIS. 

IN  the  year  1684  La  Barre,  governor  of  Canada, 
being  jealous  of  La  Salle's  power  and  influence, 
concocted  a  plan  to  defeat  his  enterprise,  and  there- 
by appropriate  to  himself  and  friends  the  great 
wealth  to  be  derived  from  the  fur  trade,  under  a  plea 
that  La  Salle  had  forfeited  his  charter  by  granting 
other  parties  permits  to  trade  with  the  Indians.  He 
sent  an  army  officer,  Capt.  De  Bougis,  to  Illinois 
with  authority  to  take  command  of  Fort  St.  Louis. 
Tout!  being  in  command  of  the  fort  at  the  time,  sur- 
rendered it  to  the  usurper,  who  took  possession  of 
all  the  goods  and  furs  at  the  trading-post  also.  A 
few  months  after  Capt.  De  Bougis  assumed  com- 
mand he  became  convinced  that  he  was  holding  the 
fort  without  authority,  consequently  he  gave  it  up  to 
Tonti  and  returned  to  Canada. 

On  the  following  year  after  De  Bougis  returned 
to  Canada  Capt.  Richard  Pilette  made  his  appear- 
ance at  Fort  St.  Louis.  Pilette  remained  at  the  fort 
a  number  of  days  without  letting  his  business  be 

93 


y-t  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

known,  but  when  the  proper  time  came  he  drew 
from  his  pocket  a  commission  under  the  Governor's 
seal  authorizing  him  to  take  command.  Tonti 
denied  the  power  of  the  Governor  to  appoint  a  com- 
mander, as  the  fort  was  private  property,  having 
been  built  and  maintained  by  La  Salle  at  his  own 
expense  in  accordance  with  a  charter  from  the  King 
of  France.  In  a  pompous  manner  Pilette  proclaimed 
himself  commander  of  the  fort  by  virtue  of  his  com- 
mission, and  addressing  the  soldiers  in  a  tone  of 
authority  ordered  them  to  lay  hold  of  Tonti  and 
place  him  under  guard.  Tonti  with  his  iron  hand 
knocked  down  the  would-be  commander,  relieving 
him  of  three  front  teeth,  and  before  the  usurper 
could  regain  his  feet  the  soldiers  carried  him  outside 
of  the  gateway,  setting  him  on  the  rock  and  giving 
him  a  start  downward.  The  rock  being  covered 
with  sleet  Pilette  could  not  recover  his  footing  or 
stop  his  descent,  and  in  that  position  slid  to  the  bot- 
tom, tearing  his  pantaloons  into  fragments  and 
bruising  himself  on  the  sharp  crags  of  rocks.  Capt. 
Pilette,  bruised  and  bleeding,  made  his  way  to  La 
Vantum,  where  he  found  sympathy  among  his  coun- 
trymen and  their  Indian  friends.  With  eighteen 
Frenchmen  and  fifty  warriors  he  went  to  Buffalo 
Rock,  and  on  its  summit  commenced  building  a  fort 
in  defiance  of  La  Salle's  charter  or  Fort  St.  Louis. 


*LE    FORT    DBS    MIAMIS.  95 

Here  he  built  a  block-house,  a  store-house,  and  sur- 
rounded it  with  earthworks  and  palisades.  Indians 
to  a  large  number  came  here,  and  built  lodges  with- 
in the  stockades,  and  it  became  a  large  town.  The 
place  took  the  name  of  Le  Fort  des  Miamis,  and  was 
occupied  by  the  Indians  long  after  the  French  left  the 
country.  The  remains  of  this  fort  were  plain  to  be 
seen  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  county,  and  were 
mistaken  for  the  relics  of  Fort  St.  Louis.* 

For  many  years  Pilette  traded  with  the  Indians, 
but  was  compelled  to  pay  a  duty  to  Fort  St.  Louis 
in  accordance  to  La  Salle's  charter.  Having  married 
a  squaw  he  raised  a  family  of  half-breed  children,  to 
whom  he  left  a  large  fortune,  made  in  the  fur  trade. 
After  his  death  the  family  removed  to  Peoria,  and 
one  of  his  grandsons,  Louis  Pilette,  was  a  claimant 
for  the  land  where  the  city  now  stands.  Hypolite 
Pilette,  a  great-grandson  of  the  captain,  who  is  now 
living  on  the  American  Bottom,  has  in  his  posses- 
sion many  articles  that  once  belonged  to  his  distin- 
guished ancestor.  From  Hypolite  Pilette  I  obtained 

*  Fifty  years  ago  the  relics  of  this  fort  were  plain  to  be  seen  on  the  summit 
of  Buffalo  Rock,  and  were  pointed  out  by  early  settlers  as  the  remains  of  Port 
St.  Louis.  These  remains  consisted  of  low  earthworks  enclosing  three  sides  of 
about  one  acre  of  land,  the  margin  of  the  rock  forming  the  fourth.  The  many 
raids  of  the  Iroquois  caused  the  Indians  to  take  refuge  on  Buffalo  Rock,  where 
they  would  be  secure  within  the  stockades  of  the  fort. 

A  short  distance  from  the  fort  were  a  number  of  sepulchral  mounds,  the 
largest  of  which,  according  to  tradition, was  raised  over  the  grave  of  Capt.Pilette. 

These  old  relics  have  been  plowed  over  for  many  years  by  Mr.  A.  Betger, 
the  owner  of  the  land,  and  most  of  them  leveled  down,  but  still  their  outlines 
-can  be  traced  out. 


96  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

most  of  the  traditionary  account  of  Le  Fort  des  Mia- 
mis,  as  well  as  many  other  items  relating  to  the 
French  and  Indians  of  former  times. 

THE  LAST  OF  TONTI.* 

For  fifteen  years  after  the  death  of  La  Salle  the- 
fur  trade  was  carried  on  by  Tonti  and  La  Frost.  The 
latter  spent  most  of  his  time  in  Canada,  and  the  for- 
mer at  Fort  St.  Louis,  shipping 'each  year  a  large 
quantity  of  furs,  and  receiving  goods  in  exchange. 
In  1702  the  Governor  of  Canada,  claiming  that: 
the  traders  had  forfeited  their  charter  by  collect- 
ing furs  at  various  points  on  Lake  Michigan,  and  by 
force  of  arms  took  possession  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  con- 
fiscating to  the  Government  all  their  stock  in  trade. 
By  this  act  of  injustice  Tonti  was  not  only  deprived' 
of  his  right  to  command  the  fort  but  ruined  in  for- 
tune. Calling  his  friends  together  he  took  leave  of 
them,  saying  that  he  was  about  to  depart  from  the 
country  never  to  return.  Both  French  and  Indians 
collected  around  Tonti  beseeching  him  to  remain. 
with  them,  but  he  had  decided  to  do  otherwise,  and 
with  many  tokens  of  friendship  he  bade  them  r.dieu. 
Accompanied  by  two  companions  he  boarded  a  canoe 

*  For  the  two  sketches  relating  to  the  death  of  Tonti  and  burning  of  Fort 
St.  Louis  I  am  indebted  to  Jacques  Matte,  whose  great -grandfather  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  fort  and  was  present  at  Tonti's  death  and  burial  also  when  the- 
fort  was  burned  by  the  Indians  a  few  months  afterward. 


THE    LAST    OF    TONTI.  97 

and  started  down  the  river  in  search  of  new  adven- 
tures. 

On  reaching  the  lower  Mississippi  country  Tonti 
joined  D'Iberville,  and  assisted  him  in  establishing 
a  colony.  For  sixteen  years  he  remained  south, 
part  of  the  time  entrusted  with  an  important  mission, 
but  when  the  colony  was  broken  up  by  sickness  and 
Spanish  invasion  he  became  au  outcast  and  a  wan- 
derer. Broken  down  in  health,  forsaken  by  friends, 
and  feeling  that  his  end  was  nigh,  he  employed  two 
Indians  to  take  him  to  Fort  St.  Louis  so  he  could 
once  more  look  upon  the  scene  of  his  vigor  and  man- 
hood, and  leave  his  bones  among  people  by  whom 
he  had  long  been  honored  and  obeyed. 

On  a  warm  afternoon  in  the  summer  of  1718, 
while  the  occupants  of  Fort  St.  Louis  were  lounging 
around  under  the  shade  of  evergreens, they  discovered 
a  canoe  coming  up  the  river  rowed  by  two  Indians. 
In  the  bottom  of  the  canoe  a  man  lay  on  a  buffalo 
robe  but  on  nearing  the  fort  he  raised  himself  into 
a  sitting  position,  and  gazed  wildly  around  him. 
The  canoe  landed  at  the  base  of  the  rock,  and  the 
travelers  commenced  ascending  it.  Between  the 
two  Indians  was  a  feeble  old  man  whom  the  conduct- 
ors held  by  each  arm,  and  slowly  assisted  him  up 
the  rocky  pathway.  On  reaching  the  summit  the 
old  man  was  placed  on  a  bunk,  where  he  lay  for  some 


98  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

time  overcome  by  fatigue  and-  unable  to  speak. 
After  taking  some  stimulants  he  revived,  and  in- 
quired of  those  around  him  who  commanded  the 
fort.  On  being  told  it  was  Captain  La  Mott  he  gave 
a  sigh  saying  La  Mott  was  a  usurper,  and  himself  the 
rightful  commander.  Those  in  attendance  thought 
him  crazy,  or  his  mind  wandering,  and  they  bathed 
his  head  with  cold  water.  When  sufficiently  recov- 
ered from  exhaustion  he  told  them  that  his  name 
was  Tonti,  and  he  had  returned  here  to  die. 

Sixteen  years  had  made  a  great  change  in  the  ap- 
pearance of  Tonti,  and  he  was  scarcely  recognized 
by  his  most  intimate  friends.  His  tall,  manly  form 
was  bent  by  disease,  his  piercing  black  eyes  were 
dimmed  with  age,  and  his  raven  locks  were  as  white 
as  snow.  News  of  Tonti's  arrival  spread  throughout 
the  country,  and  French  and  Indians  from  distant 
villages  came  to  see  him.  But  those  who  knew  him 
while  in  the  vigor  of  manhood  could  scarcely  be  con- 
vinced that  the  feeble  old  man  was  the  proud,  brave 
and  fearless  Tonti  of  former  years.  A  few  days 
after  Tonti  arrived  at  the  fort  lie  took  the  sacra- 
ment at  the  hand  of  a  priest,  and  while  looking 
upon  a  gold  crucifix  which  was  held  before  his  face 
he  breathed  his  last.  A  grave  was  dug  on  the  river 
bank,  at  the  west  end  of  Starved  Rock,  in  which  his 
remains  found  a  resting-place. 


FORT    ST.  LOUIS    BURNED.  99 

For  many  years  after  Tonti's  death  both  French 
and  Indians,  while  passing  up  and  down  the  river, 
would  stop  to  visit  the  grave,  sometimes  placing 
flowers  or  mementoes  on  it  in  memory  of  him  who 
sleeps  beneath. 

FORT  ST.  LOUIS  BURNED  AND  COLONY  BROKEN  UP. 

So  long  as  the  fur  trade  was  conducted  by  Tonti 
and  La  Frost  the  Indians  were  well  pleased,  but 
when  it  came  under  the  supervision  of  the  Governor 
of  Canada  they  became  dissatisfied.  The  Gov- 
ernor appointed  unscrupulous  agents  to  conduct  the 
trade,  who  swindled  the  Indians  by  selling  them 
worthless  articles  such  as  counterfeit  jewelry,  knives, 
tomahawks,  etc.,  made  of  pot  metal,  but  the  princi- 
pal cause  of  ill  feeling  was  on  account  of  their  social 
relation.  A  Frenchman  having  married  a  young 
squaw  would  put  her  away  as  soon  as  he  found  one 
more  attractive,  thus  changing  his  wife  at  will  ac- 
cording to  his  fancy.  Although  the  priest  would 
not  tolerate  bigamy  among  their  countrymen,  yet 
they  were  willing  to  accept  a  marriage  fee  once  a 
month  or  as  often  as  the  applicant  desired  a  new 
wife.  It  was  the  height  of  a  young  squaw's  ambition 
to  marry  a  white  man,  notwithstanding  they  were 
liable  to  be  put  away  at  any  time.  Under  the 
Indian  code  of  morals  if  a  squaw  was  found  unchaste 


100  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

she  was  punished  by  cutting  off  one  ear,  or  branded 
on  the  forehead,  but  there  was  no  law  to  prevent 
them  from  marrying  once  a  week,  or  as  often  as  an 
opportunity  occurred. 

Captain  La  Mott  commanded  the  fort,  and  being 
a  man  devoid  of  conscientious  scruples  converted  it 
into  a  regular  harem,  in  open  violation  of  both 
French  and  Indian  code  of  morals.  Young  Indian 
maidens  were  in  the  habit  of  spending  nights  at  the 
fort  under  the  pretext  of  being  married  to  the  sol- 
diers, returning  home  in  the  morning  with  their 
heads  adorned  with  worthless  trinkets,  and  their 
minds  poisoned  by  vile  associations.  The  squaws 
became  so  fascinated  with  the  French  that  many 
refused  to  marry  among  their  own  people,  having 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  children  were  not  worth 
raising  unless  they  had  white  blood  in  their  veins. 
Things  had  come  to  such  a  state  in  their  social  rela- 
tion that  the  head  chief,  Jero,  called  a  council  of 
chiefs  and  warriors,  at  which  it  was  decided  to  expel 
the  French  from  among  them. 

On  a  bright  morning  in  the  latter  part  of  the  sum- 
mer of  1718,  while  the  occupants  of  Fort  St.  Louis, 
after  a  night  of  revelry  and  debauch,  were  still 
asleep  in  their  bunks,  they  were  aroused  from  slum- 
ber by  the  presence  of  savages.  Captain  La  Mott  on 
awakening  from  his  morning  nap  was  astonished  on 


CHASSAGOAC,  AN    INDIAN    CHIEF.  101 

being  confronted  by  some  300  warriors  armed  and 
painted  for  war.  rl  he  Captain  inquired  of  Jero,  the 
head  chief,  the  object  of  their  visit,  who  in  reply 
said  they  had  come  to  burn  the  fort.  The  chief  or- 
dered the  warriors  to  fire  the  buildings,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  the  block-house,  store-house  and  dwell- 
ing were  in  flames,  all  of  which  were  consumed. 
Thus  Fort  St.  Louis  was  destroyed,  after  standing 
thirty-six  years,  and  during  that  time  it  was  the 
head  center  of  the  French  settlement  in  Illinois.  On 
the  destruction  of  the  fort  the  colony  was  broken  up, 
some  of  the  settlers  returned  to  Canada,  others  to 
Peoria  and  Cahokia,  a  few  only  who  were  identified 
with  the  Indians  by  marriage  and  half-breeds  con- 
tinued to  live  in  the  town. 

Three  years  after  the  burning  of  Fort  St.  Louis, 
in  1721,  Charlevoix,  a  Jesuit  priest,  visited  Illinois 
and  found  the  palisades  still  standing  but  no  French- 
men living  here. 

CHASSAGOAC,  AN  INDIAN  CHIEF. 

For  forty  years  Chassagoac,  the  head  chief  of 
the  Illinois  Indians,  was  identified  with  the  French 
colony,  and  became  celebrated  as  a  friend  of  the 
white  man.  He  embraced  Christianity  under  the 
preaching  of  Marquette,  and  continued  in  this  faith 
until  the  time  of  his  death.  On  account  of  his  re- 


102  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

ligious  faith  and  fidelity  to  the  French  the  Bishop 
of  Rouen  sent  him  many  presents,  consisting  of 
gold  images,  crosses,  crucifixes,  with  many  other 
emblems  of  the  Christian  religion.  These  presents^ 
were  kept  sacred,  many  of  them  worn  on  his  per- 
son, and  at  his  death  they  were  buried  with  him. 

In  a  gallery  of  the  Jesuit  collections  in  the  city 
of  Rouen,  France,  can  now  be  seen  a  life-size  por- 
trait of  Chassagoac,  which  shows  him  to  have  been 
a  fine  specimen  of  his  race,  physically  as  well  as 
mentally.  Whether  the  artist  painted  this  portrait 
from  life  or  description  is  not  known,  but  it  is  a 
good  representation  of  the  person  described  in  his- 
tory. This  chief  died  in  the  year  1714,  and  a  large 
mound  raised  over  his  grave,  on  which  Father  Felix 
erected  a  cross.  Back  of  the  old  town  of  Utica 
the  mound  supposed  to  have  been  raised  over  this 
noted  chief  can  still  be  seen,  as  well  as  the  cavity 
in  the  earth  near  by  from  which  the  dirt  was  taken 
to  erect  it.  About  sixty  years  ago  "Waba,  an  In- 
dian chief  of  some  note,  learning  from  tradition  that 
valuable  trinkets  had  been  buried  in  this  mound, 
opened  it  and  robbed  it  of  its  treasures. 
LOUISIANA  COLONY. 

This  colony,  as  has  been  previously  stated,  was 
founded  by  La  Salle  at  Fort  St.  Louis  in  the  year 
1682  under  a  charter  from  Louis  XIV,  and  called 


LOUISIANA    COLONY.  103 

Louisiana  in  honor  to  his  name.  The  colony  re- 
mained here  until  1718,  a  period  of  thirty-six  years, 
and  had  it  continued  permanently  La  Salle  county 
would  have  been  the  oldest  settled  place  in  the 
Mississippi  Yalley. 

In  1711  the  King  of  France  gave  Crozat  a  pat- 
ent covering  all  of  the  Louisiana  country,  over 
which  he  was  to  have  control  for  twenty  years. 
Col.  La  Mott,  an  agent  of  Crozat,  took  possession 
of  the  country,  assuming  the  title  of  governor, 
and  made  Kaskaskia  the  capital.  A  large  corps  of 
miners  came  from  France,  and  two  years  were 
spent  in  the  northern  country  in  searching  for  gold 
and  silver,  but  without  success.  Copper  and  lead 
were  found  in  great  abundance,  but  none  of  the 
precious  metal  for  which  they  were  in  search. 
After  five  years'  experience  in  mining  and  trading 
with  the  Indians  Crozat  found  it  unprofitable,  con- 
sequently he  surrendered  his  patent  to  the  crown, 
• 

and  Col.  La  Mott  with  many  of  the  miners  re- 
turned to  France. 

In  1717  a  new  patent  was  granted  to  a  Louis- 
iana company,  with  George  Law,  a  Scotch  banker 
of  Paris,  at  its  head;  and  by  this  company  Fort 
Chartres  was  built.  This  company  issued  large 
grants  of  land  to  each  village,  including  many 
thousand  acres  known  as  common  field  and  com- 


104  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

mons.  They  also  made  and  enforced  just  laws 
regulating  village  ordinances,  which  superseded 
some  of  the  arbitrary  code  brought  about  by  the 
Jesuit  priests. 

FRENCH  SETTLEMENT  AROUND  FORT  ST.  LOUIS. 

According  to  tradition,  a  number  of  cabins  were 
built  around  the  base  of  Starved  Rock  and  occu- 
pied by  people  engaged  in  the  fur  trade.  In  my 
researches  among  the  descendants  of  the  early  pio- 
neers I  found  three  families  whose  ancestors  lived 
at  Fort  St.  Louis,  and  from  whom  I  obtained  many 
of  the  items  given  in  this  sketch.  When  the  fort 
was  burned  in  1718  all  the  settlers  left  for  other 
places ;  the  cabins  rotted  down,  but  the  under- 
ground furnaces  for  heating  them  still  remain,  nine 
of  which  have  been  discovered  within  the  last  few 
years. 

By  an  order  of  Father  Zenobe,  all  persons  be- 
longing to  the  colony,  both  soldiers  and  civilians, 
were  required  to  assemble  once  a  day  in  the  chapel 
of  the  fort  for  prayers,  and  for  that  purpose  men, 
women  and  children  each  morning  were  seen  as- 
cending the  Rock. 

The  cemetery  was  located  on  the  river  bank  at 
the  west  end  of  the  Rock  ;  and  here  on  this  ro- 
mantic spot,  shaded  by  outspreading  oaks,  over- 


FRENCH    SETTLEMENT.  105 

looking  the  broad,  rapid  stream,  Henri  de  Tonti, 
two  Jesuit  priests,  with  a  number  of  soldiers  and 
civilians,  found  a  long  resting-place.  In  the  early 
settlement  of  the  country  human  bones  were  seen 
sticking  out  of  the  river  bank  at  this  place,  where 
the  dirt  had  been  washed  away  by  a  flood. 

The  French  settlers  cultivated  an  island  in  the 
river  and  a  field  on  the  prairie  north  of  it,  also  a 
small  piece  of  ground  west  of  the  Rock,  between 
the  river  and  bluff,  showed  unmistakable  marks  of 
having  been  cultivated.  A  large  portion  of  the 
grain  and  vegetables  to  supply  the  garrison  were 
raised  by  the  French  and  half-breeds  on  the  Indian 
fields  at  La  Vantum,  while  the  meat,  which  con- 
sisted of  buffalo,  elk  and  deer,  was  furnished  by 
Indian  hunters. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  river,  a  short  distance 
above  Starved  Rock,  are  three  sulphur  springs,  one 
of  which  is  large,  boiling  up  among  white  sand 
and  sending  forth  an  immense  volume  of  water. 
Indians  from  a  distance  came  here  to  be  healed  of 
their  maladies,  and  during  the  summer  the  springs 
were  surrounded  with  camping-tents.  These  poor 
benighted  people  entertained  the  same  foolish  no- 
tions as  people  of  the  present  day  regarding  the 
medical  qualities  of  mineral  water 

In  1853  a  large  stone  building,  called  ''Sulphur 


106  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Spring  Hotel,"  was  built  here,  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  making  it  a  great  watering-place.  Notwith- 
standing a  large  amount  of  money  was  spent  in 
building  and  advertising  by  those  interested,  they 
did  not  succeed  in  making  it  a  Saratoga  or  a  Hom- 
burg. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


JESUIT  MISSIONARIES  OP  THE  WEST. 


Jesuit  missionaries  in  their  zeal  abandoned 
-L  home,  friends  and  all  the  comforts  of  civiliza- 
tion for  the  purpose  of  converting  heathens.  Gov- 
erned by  religious  fanaticism  they  carried  their  faith 
and  works  to  the  most  remote  parts  of  the  west,  and 
among  the  lowest  degraded  savages.  -They  were 
found  along  the  ice-bound  shores  of  Lake  Superior, 
clothed  in  deer  or  buffalo  skins,  and  with  snow-shoes, 
struggling  through  thick  timber,  or  crossing  wide 
prairies,  to  lodge  in  a  filthy,  smoky  den  with  sav- 
ages. Again  at  the  south  among  bogs  and  swamps 
filled  with  vermin  and  wild  beasts  they  adminis- 
tered the  sacrament  to  painted  and  plumed  pros- 
elytes. To  accomplish  their  purposes  they  traveled 
through  various  parts  of  the  country  from  Canada 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  —  sometimes  suffering  from 
cold  and  hunger,  deprived  of  all  the  luxuries  of  civil- 
ized life,  all  for  the  purpose  of  converting  the  hea- 
then and  saving  their  souls  from  eternal  perdition. 
These  enthusiastic  priests  with  their  black  robes 


107 


108  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

could  be  seen  toiling  with  half  naked  natives  build- 
ing lodges,  or  forcing  their  canoe  up  the  rapid 
stream ;  sometimes  carrying  their  baggage  on  their 
backs  to  and  from  distant  villages,  or  lounging 
around  a  camp-fire  on  a  bear  or  buffalo  skin  amid 
scores  of  squalling  papooses  and  half  famished  dogs. 
The  stories  of  their  labors  are  replete  with  romance, 
miracles  of  heroic  self-sacrifices,  and  with  daring 
adventures. 

Everywhere  these  priests  were  the  pioneers  of 
the  French  settlements  in  the  west,  keeping  in 
advance  of  civilization,  and  preparing  the  way  for  a 
friendly  intercourse  between  the  white  and  red  man. 
Many  of  these  missionaries  were  well  educated,  with 
superior  mental  ability,  possessed  of  wealth,  which 
made  them  efficient  bearers  of  the  cross,  and  whose 
whole  life  was  spent  in  converting  heathens. 

Father  Marest  in  his  correspondence  says,  "Our 
life  is  spent  in  rambling  through  thick  timber,  among 
briers  and  thorns,  crossing  wide  prairies,  climbing 
over  hills,  or  paddling  a  canoe  across  lakes  or  up 
rapid  rivers,  to  save  the  poor  benighted  Indian 
from  eternal  perdition." 

Father  Nicollet  lived  twenty  years  among  sav- 
ages, most  of  the  time  without  meeting  a  white  man, 
and  became  an  Indian  in  dress,  habit  and  language. 
Still  he  remained  a  zealous  Catholic,  and  at  last 


JESUIT  MISSIONARIES  OF  THE  WEST.          109 

returned  to  civilization  because  he  could  not  live 
without  the  sacrament. 

From  the  Jesuit  missionaries  the  Indians  learned 
the  story  of  Christ's  crucifixion,  and  with  a  trem- 
bling voice  repeated  it  to  their  friends.  They  not 
only  received  baptism  from  the  hands  of  the  priest 
but  allowed  themselves  to  be  sprinkled  with  holy 
water',  which  they  were  taught  to  believe  blotted  out 
all  past  sins,  and  saved  them  from  everlasting  punish- 
ment. The  medals,  crosses  and  crucifixes  which  the 
priest  gave  the  warriors  pleased  their  fancy,  as  they 
were  fond  of  adorning  their  persons  with  glittering 
trinkets,  and  with  these  representations  of  man's 
salvation  suspended  from  their  necks  they  remain 
heathens  still.  In  addition  to  decorating  their  per- 
sons with  emblems  of  Christianity  some  of  the  war- 
riors wore  a  necklace  made  of  dried  skeleton  fingers 
taken  from  an  enemy  whom  they  had  slain  in  battle. 
The  former  trinkets  represented  their  religion,  and 
the  latter  their  patriotism. 

Father  Meurain,  the  last  of  the  Jesuit  priests  in 
Illinois,  died  at  Prairie  du  Rocher  in  1778,  and  the 
monument  over  his  grave  can  still  be  seen.  In 
France  and  her  territories  the  order  of  Jesuits  was 
suppressed  in  1764,  when  most  of  the  priests  in  Illi- 
nois returned  to  their  native  country.  But  by  the 
solicitation  of  the  Indians,  with  whom  he  had  labored 


110  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

for  a  long  time,  Father  Meurain  consented  to  remain, 
and  among  them  he  ended  his  days.  Father  Meu- 
rain was  a  man  of  fine  literary  attainments,  and  wrote 
a  manuscript  dictionary  of  the  French  and  Indian 
languages,  which  is  preserved  in  the  antiquarian  col- 
lection at  Rouen. 

FATHER  SENAT  AND  COMRADE  BURNED  AT  THE 
STAKE. 

One  of  the  most  devoted  Jesuit  priests  in  Illi- 
nois was  Father  Senat,  who  spent  a  long  life  among 
savages  for  the  purpose  of  converting  them  to 
Christianity,  and  at  last  fell  a  victim  of  these  ruth- 
less barbarians.  This  zealous  priest  lived  many 
years  at  Peoria,  where  he  built  a  chapel  and  dedi- 
cated it  to  the  Holy  Virgin.  He  preached  at  dif- 
ferent villages  along  the  river,  where  he  had  many 
converts,  and  exercised  great  influence  over  his  red 
brethren.  While  on  a  visit  to  a  neighboring  vil- 
lage a  war  party  returned  from  the  battle-field  with 
a  number  of  prisoners,  and  made  preparation  to 
burn  them  at  the  stake  in  accordance  to  Indian 
custom.  Father  Senat,  on  finding  all  efforts  to 
save  the  prisoners  from  the  flames  a  failure,  offered 
himself  a  sacrifice  to  die  in  their  stead  a  ransom 
for  the  captives.  This  proposition  had  the  desired 
effect.  The  prisoners  were  liberated,  furnished  with 
many  presents,  and  returned  to  their  people. 


FATHEE  SEN AT  AND  COMRADE  BURNED.      Ill 

In  the  spring  of  1736  D'Artaguette,  Governor 
of  Illinois,  collected  all  the  French  troops  in  the 
territory,  with  about  one  thousand  Indian  allies, 
and  with  them  went  to  Louisiana  to  assist  Gov- 
ernor Bainville  in-  prosecuting  a  war  against  the 
Chickasaw  Indians.  Among  these  recruits  was 
Capt.  Yincennes  with  a  small  company  of  soldiers 
from  St.  Vincent  on  the  Wabash,  which  place  now 
bears  the  name  of  the  valiant  captain.  Among  the 
Indian  allies  from  the  Illinois  River  were  many  of 
Father  Senat's  converts,  and  he  was  prevailed  upon 
to  accompany  them  in  their  excursion  to  the  south. 

This  expedition  descended  the  Mississippi  River 
to  the  lower  Chickasaw '  bluffs,  from  which  they 
crossed  the  country  to  Tallahatchie  River,  where 
they  expected  to  meet  the  army  under  Bainville 
from  Louisiana.  But  these  troops  failed  to  come 
to  time  agreeable  to  appointment,  and  d'Artaguette, 
not  being  able  to  restrain  his  Indian  allies  any 
longer,  was  forced  to  attack  the  enemy.  The  army 
was  defeated,  the  Indian  allies  fled,  while  the  French 
were  taken  prisoners  and  burned  at  the  stake. 
While  the  flames  encircled  their  bodies  Father 
Senat  passed  from  one  to  the  other  amid  blazing 
fagots,  exhorting  his  friends  to  die  as  became 
Frenchmen  and  Christians,  and  while  they  were 
racking  with  torture  he  administered  to  his  dying 


112  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

countrymen  the  last  rites  of  the  Catholic  church. 
The  Indians  offered  to  liberate  Father  Senat,  but 
he  disdained  their  clemency,  telling  them  his  work 
in  this  world  was  done,  and  he  desired  to  be  sacri- 
ficed for  his  Master's  sake. 

EARLY  FRENCH  SETTLEMENTS  IN  ILLINOIS. 

The  first  permanent  settlers  in  Illinois  came  from 
Canada,  and  they  were  connected  either  with  the 
Jesuit  mission  or  fur  trade.  In  after  years  emi- 
grants came  direct  from  France  by  the  way  of  New 
Orleans,  and  established  colonies  in  different  In- 
dian villages  on  the  American  Bottom.  All  the 
settlers  lived  in  villages,  and  their  farms  were  in 
a  common  field,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of 
their  native  country.  The  leaders  of  the  French 
colonies  were  men  of  education  and  energy  of  char- 
acter, while  the  masses  were  illiterate  and  ignorant, 
having  no  enterprise  and  but  little  property;  never- 
theless they  were  frank,  open-hearted,  happy  peo- 
ple. They  took  possession  of  so  much  of  the  va- 
cant land  aroimd  them  as  they  could  till,  but  no 
more,  and  appeared  to  have  had  no  desire  to  accu- 
mulate wealth.  Their  agricultural  implements  were 
rude,  mostly  of  their  own  manufacture,  and  the 
same  kind  of  tools  are  now  in  use  by  some  of  their 
descendants.  The  early  settlers  lived  in  harmony 


EARLY    FRENCH    SETTLEMENTS.  113 

with  the  Indians,  intermarrying  among  them,  and 
in  part  adopting  their  habits  and  customs.  For 
forty  years  they  built  no  forts,  and  those  erected 
in  after  years  were  not  intended  for  protection 
against  Indian  hostilities  but  from  the  fear  of  Span- 
ish invasion,  France  and  Spain  being  then  at  war. 

The  oldest  document  found  in  Kaskaskia  (except 
the  church  records)  is  dated  June  18,  1725,  and  con- 
tains the  signatures  of  fifty  persons,  who  are  repre- 
sented as  heads  of  families.  This  old  document  is 
in  the  form  of  a  petition  to  the  King  of  France  for 
assistance, —  setting  forth  the  suffering  condition  of 
the  people  on  account  of  the  great  flood  the  year  be- 
fore, which  washed  away  most  of  the  improvements, 
and  obliged  the  people  to  flee  to  the  bluffs. 

By  the  Louisiana  Company  horses  were  brought 
from  the  Spanish  settlements  in  Mexico  to  take  the 
place  of  Indian  ponies,  and  cattle,  hogs,  sheep,  and 
chickens  were  brought  from  Canada.  Wild  geese, 
ducks  and  turkeys  were  domesticated,  and  from  this 
stock  most  of  the  fowls  of  the  present  day  sprang. 
It  is  said  two  pigs  were  brought  from  Montreal  to 
Cahokia  in  a  canoe,  and  from  these  pigs  hogs  to 
supply  the  different  settlements  originated.  Many 
efforts  were  made  to  domesticate  buffalo,  but  it 
proved  a  failure,  as  the  tame  ones  would  go  off  with 
wild  herds.  But  they  succeeded  in  crossing  them 


114  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

with  cattle,  and  at  the  present  time  some  of  the 
progeny  show  strong  marks  of  buffalo  origin,  and 
their  pelts  are  tanned  for  robes.  Horses  ran  in  large 
droves  in  the  canebreaks  along  the  Mississippi  River, 
became  wild,  and  in  after  years  many  of  them  were 
caught  with  a  lasso  and  brought  into  use. 

In  1721  Phillip  Raynault  brought  five  hundred 
slaves  from  St.  Domingo  to  Fort  Chartres,  and  by 
this  means  slavery  was  introduced  into  Illinois. 
Raynault  with  a  large  number  of  slaves  and  a  few  of 
his  countrymen  ascended  the  .Mississippi  River  to 
the  lead  mines,  and  erected  a  furnace  for  smelting 
lead  on  or  near  the  present  site  of  Galena.  A  por- 
tion of  this  lead  was  shipped  to  New  Orleans,  and 
sold  to  the  Spaniards  in  Mexico. 

Father  Vevier,  a  Jesuit  missionary,  writing  from 
Prairie  du  Rocher  under  date  of  June  10,  1750,  says 
"there  are  between  the  Mississippi  and  Ivaskaskia 
Rivers,  within  twenty-one  leagues,  five  French  and 
three  Indian  villages.  Most  of  the  French  settlers 
till  the  soil,  raising  wheat,  maize,  with  various  other 
products,  some  of  which  are  shipped  to  !New  Or- 
leans, where  it  finds  a  ready  market." 

In  the  early  settlement  of  the  country  the  French 
made  wine  from  the  wild  grape,  but  in  after  years 
they  cultivated  vineyards,  and  built  wine-presses. 
The  buffalo  was  of  great  service  to  the  early  pio- 


EARLY    FRENCH    SETTLEMENTS.  115 

neers ;  the  flesh  they  used  for  food,  the  hides  for 
robes  or  tanned  into  leather,  and  the  hair  they  spun 
and  wove  into  a  fine  fabric  for  clothing. 

The  Royal  Louisiana  Company  gave  large  tracts 
of  land  to  each  village  which  belonged  jointly  to  the 
inhabitants,  and  this  title  has  been  confirmed  by 
subsequent  laws.  These  grants  were  divided  into 
two  tracts,  known  as  Common  Field  and  Commons, 
and  included  many  thousand  acres  to  each  village. 
The  common  field  consisted  in  farm  land  all  fenced 
into  one  field,  the  boundaries  of  each  person's  prem- 
ises were  designated  by  landmarks,  and  these  tracts 
belonged  to  the  occupant  in  fee  simple,  and  could 
be  bought  and  sold  the  same  as  other  landed  prop- 
erty. A  village  ordinance  was  in  force  regarding 
making  and  repairing  fences,  the  time  of  excluding 
stock  in  the  spring,  gathering  the  crops,  and  open- 
ing the  field  for  pasture  in  the  fall.  The  commons 
was  a  tract  of  land  granted  to  each  town  for  wood  and 
pasture,  of  which  every  owner  of  a  village  lot  has  an 
interest.  The  French  villages  at  the  time  of  early  set- 
tlement were  governed  by  the  priest,  who,  besides  at- 
tending to  their  spiritual  wants,  dispensed  justice,  and 
from  his  decision  there  was  no  appeal.  Although 
the  authority  of  the  priest  was  absolute  there  appears 
to  have  been  no  abuse  of  this  power,  as  the  holy 
father  watched  over  his  flock  with  paternal  care. 


116  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT  OF  ST.  LOUIS. 

In  1763  Pierre  Laclade  obtained  from  the  gov 
ernor  of  Louisiana  a  charter  giving  him  the  exclu- 
sive right  to  trade  with  the  Indians  on  the  west  side 
of  the  upper  Mississippi  River.  Laclade  organized 
a  company  at  New  Orleans  under  the  title  of  La^ 
clade,  Maxon  &  Co.,  and  aboard  of  boats  loaded  with 
goods  for  the  Indian  market  ascended  the  river  in 
search  of  a  suitable  place  to  locate.  On  reaching 
Fort  Chartres  the  goods  were  stored,  and  Laclade 
with  some  of  his  party,  accompanied  by  two  young 
men  named  Pierre  and  Aguste  Chouteau,  ascended 
the  river  in  a  canoe  in  search  of  a  good  site  for  a 
town,  and  on  the  15th  of  February,  1764,  their  tents 
were  pitched  at  St.  Louis,  which  was  the  commence- 
ment of  the  great  city  in  the  west.  Here  a  cluster 
of  cabins  was  built,  enclosed  by  stockades,  and 
occapied  by  traders  and  hunters.  Many  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Illinois  towns  crossed  the  river  and 
located  at  St.  Louis  in  order  to  be  under  the  rule  of 
their  native  country. 

AVhen  Captain  Stirling,  in  accordance  with  a 
treaty,  took  possession  of  Fort  Chartres  in  July, 
1765,  its  former  commander,  Captain  St.  Ange,  with 
the  French  troops  and  military  stores,  removed  to- 
St.  Louis,  and  for  a  number  of  years  the  colony  was; 


BRITISH    RULE    IN    ILLINOIS.  117 

under  French  rule,  notwithstanding  the  country  had 
been  ceded  to  Spain  some  time  before.     . 

In  1780  St.  Louis  was  attacked  by  a  large  body 
of  Indians,  accompanied  by  a  few  British  soldi.ers 
from  Detroit,  but  they  were  repulsed  by  the  citizens 
and  soldiers. 

BRITISH  RULE  IN  ILLINOIS. 

In  the  summer  of  1764  Major  Loftus  with  three 
hundred  British  soldiers  ascended  the  Mississippi 
River  in  boats  from  Bayou  Manchea  to  take  posses- 
sion of  Illinois,  as  France  had  ceded  it  to  England  a 
short  tilne  before.  While  these  troops  were  on  their 
way  up  the  river,  and  before  reaching  their  destina- 
tion, they  were  attacked  and  defeated  by  a  body  of 
Indians,  which  compelled  them  to  abandon  the  enter 
prise  and  return  to  the  fort  at  Bayou  Manchea. 

In  the  spring  of  1765  an  expedition  under  Captain 
Croghan  left  Fort  Pitt  to  take  possession  of  Illinois, 
but  on  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  W abash  they  were 
taken  prisoners  by  the  Shawnee  Indians,  and  carried 
to  a  village  near  Yincennes.  In  the  following  fall  the 
third  expedition  against  Illinois  left  Fort  Pitt,  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Stirling,  who  took  pos- 
session of  the  country  without  opposition,  and  from 
that  time  the  British  flag  waved  over  Fort  Chartres. 
In  the  following  year  Captain  Stirling  died,  and 
different  ones  at  short  intervals  acted  as  governors 


118  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

of  Illinois,  the  last  one,  M.  Rocheblaue,  was  in  com- 
mand when  Colonel  Clark  took  possession  of  the 
country.  The  British  rule  was  very  unpopular  with 
the  French,  many  of  them  went  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi so  they  could  be  under  the  laws  of  their  native 
country.  This  change  of  government  displeased  the 
Indians,  and  they  would  have  attacked  the  British 
for  the  purpose  of  driving  them  out  of  the  country  if 
their  friends  among  the  French  had  not  counseled 
otherwise.  When  the  British  took  possession  of 
Illinois  Captain  Pitman,  of  the  army,  by  the  au- 
thority of  his  government  visited  all  the  French  vil- 
lages except  Peoria,  and  gave  a  description  of  them, 
including  population,  trade,  public  buildings,  etc. 
The  French  inhabitants  were  living  in  six  villages, 
all  except  one  on  the  American  Bottom,  and  estimates 
the  inhabitants  at  three  thousand,  the  most  of  whom 
were  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 


CHAPTEK  X. 

TOM  BRADY'S  WILD  ADVENTURES. 

THOMAS  R.  BRADY,  better  known  as  Tern 
Brady,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  a 
brother  of  Captain  Samuel  Brady,  who  distinguished 
himself  as  an  Indian  fighter  in  the  border  wars  of 
Ohio.  Brady  was  a  reckless  fellow,  fond  of  wild 
adventures,  a  great  hunter  (spending  much  of  his 
time  in  the  woods  in  search  of  bear  and  panthers;, 
and  occasionally  exchanging  a  shot  with  an  Indian. 
In  the  summer  of  1YT6  Tom  Brady  went  to  Cahokia 
accompanied  by  three  other  young  men  as  wild  and 
reckless  as  himself,  and  who  were  willing  to  accom- 
pany him  in  any  enterprise  he  might  undertake. 
On  the  following  summer  Brady  fitted  out  an  expe- 
dition, consisting  of  sixteen  soldiers  including  him- 
self, for  the  purpose  of  capturing  the  British  garri- 
son at  St.  Joseph.  This  little  band  of  adventurers 
he  called  the  western  division  of  the  Continental 
army,  and  with  it  he  intended  to  attack  and  capture 
the  British  garrison.  Among  those  who  took  a  part 
in  this  remarkable  expedition  was  M.  Boismenue,  a 


120  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

native  of  Caliokia,  and  to  whose  grandson  I  am 
indebted  for  many  incidents  given  in  this  nar- 
rative. Many  of  Brady's  recruits  were  French  half- 
breed  members  of  the  Catholic  church,  and  they 
were  unwilling  to  embark  in  so  hazardous  an  enter- 
prise unless  accompanied  by  a  priest  to  absolve  them 
from  their  sins.  Father  Beson,  an  old,  bald-headed 
priest,  was  prevailed  on  to  accompany  the  troops, 
and  before  leaving  Cahokia  he  offered  up  prayers  to 
the  throne  of  grace  for  their  success. 

Brady's  little  band,  armed  and  equipped  for  war, 
—  on  board  of  three  canoes  —  left  for  St.  Joseph, 
about  four  hundred  miles  distant.  On  reaching  an 
elevated  piece  of  ground,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Illi- 
nois River,  below  the  mouth  of  Bureau  Creek,  where 
tradition  says  a  century  before  Father  Hennepin 
landed  from  his  boat,  raised  a  cross,  and  consecrated 
the  place  to  the  Virgin  Mary.  Father  Beson  could 
not  be  prevailed  upon  to  pass  this  hallowed  spot 
without  offering  up  prayers  and  saying  mass. 
Here  the  adventurers  landed  from  their  canoes,  and 
a  day  was  spent  in  preaching,  praying,  taking  the 
sacrament,  and  singing  songs  of  praise,  causing  the 
wild  woods  to  resound  with  their  melody.  On 
reaching  the  mouth  of  Chicago  River  the  party  spent 
another  day  in  religious  exercises  around  a  large 
wooden  cross,  said  to  occupy  the  spot  where  Father 


TOM  BRADY'S  WILD  ADVENTURES.        121 

Marquette  erected  one  more  than  a  century  before. 
After  many  weeks  of  toil  and  exposure  in  forcing 
their  frail  crafts  up  the  Illinois  and  Des  Plaines 
Rivers,  and  buffeting  the  angry  winds  and  waves 
on  Lake  Michigan,  they  reached  their  destination. 
The  fort  at  St.  Joseph  was  garrisoned  by  twenty-one 
soldiers,  while  the  attacking  party  consisted  of  only 
sixteen  ;  but  Brady,  relying  on  the  prestige  of  sur- 
prise, felt  confident  of  success.  Accordingly  they 
attacked  the  fort  during  the  night  while  all  were 
asleep,  and  the  astonished  soldiers,  without  making 
any  resistance,  surrendered  themselves  prisoners 
of  war. 

A  few  days  after  taking  possession  of  the  fort  at 
St.  Joseph  the  victors  learned  that  two  companies  of 
British  soldiers  with  many  Indian  allies  were  march- 
ing upon  it.  On  receiving  this  intelligence  Brady 
and  his  comrades  in  all  haste  loaded  their  canoes 
with  furs  and  merchandise  (taken  out  of  the  fort) 
and  left  for  home ;  but  on  reaching  the  mouth  of 
Calumet  River  they  were  overtaken  by  three  hun- 
dred British  and  Indians.  Here  a  battle  was  fought, 
at  which  Brady's  army  was  defeated,  having  two 
killed  and  two  wounded;  one  made  his  escape,  while 
the  remainder  were  made  prisoners  and  carried  back 
to  St.  Joseph.  Some  time  after,  becoming  a  pris- 
oner, Tom  Brady  made  his  escape,  and'  on  foot,  and 


122  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

alone,  he  traveled  through   the  forest  back  to  his 
former  home  in  Pennsylvania. 

After  reaching  his  old  home  in  Pennsylvania 
Tom  Brady  raised  a  company  of  scouts,  and  with 
them  made  many  excursions  into  the  Indian  coun- 
try, in  one  of  which  he  was  severely  wounded.  He 
joined  Colonel  Crawford's  expedition  against  the 
Indians  on  the  Sandusky  River,  and  participated  in 
that  disastrous  affair.  On  arriving  in  the  enemy's 
country  Colonel  Crawford  sent  Brady,  accompanied 
by  two  companions  as  daring  as  himself,  forward  to 
reconnoiter  while  the  army  remained  in  camp  await- 
ing their  return.  AVhen  the  scouts  came  near  the 
Indian  village  on  the  bank  of  the  Sandusky  River 
they  heard  loud  whoops  and  yejls,  and  occasionally 
firing  of  guns.  With  great  caution  the  scouts 
crawled  on  their  hands  and  knees  through  the  thick 
underbrush  until  they  came  in  plain  view  of  a  large 
body  of  warriors  engaged  in  a  scalp-dance.  By  the 
side  of  these  dancers*  were  seen  three  white  men  on 
horseback  looking  on  and  enjoying  the  sport.  These 
men  were  recognized  by  the  scouts  as  Alexander 
McKee,  Simon  and  James  Girty,  three  noted  des- 
peradoes. 

At  one  time  the  Girtys  lived  in  the  same  neigh- 
borhood with  Brady,  and  consequently  he  was  well 
acquainted  with  them.  As  Tom  Brady  looked  at 


ST.  JOSEPH    AND    DETROIT.  123 

Simon  Girty  he  was  reminded  of  the  many  raids  in 
which  that  cut-throat  had  led  the  Indians  into  his 
own  neighborhood,  murdering  defenseless  women 
and  children.  In  one  of  these  raids  Brady's  father 
and  one  of  his  brothers  were  killed,  and  bringing  a 
rifle  to  his  shoulder  was  about  to  shoot  him  from  his 
horse.  But  before  Brady  could  effect  his  bloody 
designs  one  of  his  comrades  caught  the  gun  and 
thereby  prevented  the  rash  act,  as  it  would  have  been 
certain  death  to  all  of  the  party.  After  the  war 
closed  Tom  Brady  returned  to  Illinois,  again  became 
a  resident  of  Cahokia,  and  in  the  year  1790  was 
sheriff  of  St.  Clair  county. 

On  a  recent  visit  to  Cahokia  I  spent  some  time 
among  the  tombs  in  the  old  church-yard  where  so 
many  distinguished  early  pioneers  were  buried. 
Among  the  graves  distinguished  by  sandstone  slabs 
was  one  to  the  memory  of  Thomas  R.  Brady. 

TWO  EXPEDITIONS  AGAINST1  ST.  JOSEPH,  AND  ONE 
AGAINST  DETROIT. 

In  the  spring  of  1778,  two  months  before  the 
country  was  invaded  by  Virginians  under  the  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Clark,  a  Frenchman  named  Puelette 
Maize,  of  Kaskaskia,  enlisted  about  three  hundred 
men  in  different  French  towns,  and  marched  through 
the  country  to  St.  Joseph,  which  they  took  by  sur- 


124  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

prise.  All  the  fur,  pelts  and  merchandise  found  at 
the  fort  and  trading-houses  were  carried  off  as  tro- 
phies of  war,  and  divided  among  the  soldiers.  After 
collecting  all  the  valuables  to  be  found  at  the  post 
the  victors  with  their  spoil  returned  home,  and  were 
disbanded.  It  is  generally  believed  that  this  expe- 
dition was  fitted  out  more  for  plunder  than  patriot- 
ism, as  Congress  in  after  years  refused  to  recom- 
pense those  engaged  in  it. 

In  the  fall  of  1780  LaBalme,  a  native  of  France, 
raised  a  small  company  of  soldiers  at  Kaskaskia  for 
the  purpose  of  taking  Detroit.  At  Yincennes  they 
were  reinforced  by  a  few  of  their  countrymen,  and 
from  here  they  marched  direct  for  the  British  post. 
While  encamped  on  the  Maumee  River  they  were 
attacked  by  a  large  body  of  Miami  Indians,  led  by  a 
British  officer,  when  La  Balme  and  many  of  his  sol- 
diers were  killed,  and  the  rest  taken  prisoners. 

In  June,  1781.  Don  Eugenie  Pierre,  a  Spaniard  of 
St.  Louis,  with  sixty-five  soldiers,  most  of  whom 
were  French  who  lived  at  Cahokia,  marched  against 
St.  Joseph,  as  England  and  Spain  were  then  at  war. 
The  fort  was  taken  without  resistance,  when  the 
commanding  officers  went  through  with  the  cere- 
mony of  taking  possession  of  all  the  lake  country  in 
the  name  of  the  King  of  Spain.  A  few  days  after 
performing  this  idle  ceremony  the  Spanish  com- 


SEARCHING    FOR    COPPER    MINES.  125 

mander*  learned  that  British  troops  were  on  their  way 
from  Detroit  to  reinforce  St.  Joseph,  consequently 
the  troops  left  the  conquered  territory  in  all  haste, 
and  returned  to  St.  Louis. 

PAT.  KENNEDY  AND  COMRADES  IN  SEARCH  OF 
COPPER  MINES. 

For  many  years  the  citizens  of  Kaskaskia  and 
other  French  towns  believed'  there  were  copper 
mines  somewhere  in  the  upper  Illinois  country,  as 
specimens  of  pure  metal,  in  a  native  state,  were  fre- 
quently brought  there  for  sale  by  the  Indians.  On 
July  23,  1773,  Kennedy,  with  a  party  of  adventurers, 
left  Kaskaskia  in  a  boat  and  ascended  the  Illinois 
River  in  search  of  copper  mines.  On  the  7th  of 
August  they  reached  Peoria,  where  they  found  the 
stockades  of  the  fort  burned,  but  the  block-houses 
still  standing.  On  arriving  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids, 
and  finding  the  current  too  strong  to  ascend,  they 
left  their  boat  and  proceeded  up  the  river  on  foot 
forty-five  miles  further.  Before  reaching  the  mouth 
of  the  Fox  River  they  noticed  a  number  of  high, 
rocky  cliffs,  one  of  which  (Starved  Rock ^  has  figured 
extensively  in  the  history  and  traditions  of  the  coun- 
try. On  an  island  thirty  miles  above  the  mouth  of 
Fox  River  they  fell  in  with  a  party  of  French  traders, 
who  brought  them  down  the  river  in  their  canoes  to 
the  place  where  their  boat  had  been  left.  While  at 


126  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

the  foot  of  the  rapids  they  fell  in  with  a  Frenchman 
by  the  name  of  Jenriette.  who  piloted  them  in  an 
excursion  through  the  country  in  search  of  copper 
mines,  but  finding  none  these  adventurers  went 
aboard  of  their  boat  and  returned  to  Kaskaskia,  after 
being  absent  about  four  months. 

Kennedy  published  a  journal  of  his  travels  up  the 
river,  which  contains  many  things  of  interest  and 
confirms  some  of  the  traditions  given  elsewhere. 
This  journal  gives  a  geographical  and  topographical 
description  of  the  country,  size  and  names  of  rivers, 
lakes,  bluffs,  rapids,  etc.  It  speaks  of  a  saline 
spring  by  a  lake,  where  the  French  and  Indians 
were  engaged  in  making  salt;  also  refers  to  a  cliff  of 
rocks  near  the  mouth  of  Fox  River,  from  which  the 
French  obtained  their  mill  stones.  On  the  large 
meadows  were  seen  herds  of  buffalo,  elk  and  deer, 
while  pelicans,  swans,  geese  and  ducks  were  swim- 
ming in  the  rivers  and  lakes.  The  journal  refers  to 
Peoria  Lake,  town  and  fort,  but  throws  no  light  on 
the  history  of  the  French  settlement  at  this  place, 
says  nothing  about  the  size  of  the  town,  nor  its  gen- 
eral appearance  at  that  time. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

COLONEL  CLARK'S  CONQUEST  OF  ILLINOIS. 

ON  the  4th  of  July,  1778,  during  the  shades  of 
the  night,  the  citizens  of  Kaskaskia  were  aston- 
ished by  hearing  it  proclaimed  throughout  the  town 
"If  any  man  enter  the  streets  he  shall  be  shot." 
Next  morning  soldiers  were  seen  along  the^  streets  of 
the  town,  and  the  stars  and  stripes  instead  of  the 
lion  and  unicorn  waived  from  the  flag-staff  on  Fort 
Gage.  The  people  were  in  a  transport  of  joy,  bells 
rang,  patriotic  songs  were  sung,  while  demonstra- 
tions of  rejoicing  with  tokens  of  mirth  and  gayety 
reigned  throughout  the  town.  The  annals  of  ro- 
mance furnish  nothing  more  remarkable  than  the 
achievement  of  this  bloodless  conquest  of  Illinois. 
The  origin  of  this  expedition,  the  long,  tedious  jour- 
ney performed  by  the  adventurers,  with  its  perils 
and  hardships,  the  manner  of  attack  on  the  British 
garrison,  and  its  final  success,  appears  more  like  a 
story  of  fiction  than  of  reality. 

Kaskaskia  at  the  time  of  the  revolutionary  war 
contained  about  250  houses,  being  the  largest  and 


127 


128  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

most  important  town  west  of  the  Alleghany  moun- 
tains, and  not  only  the  seat  of  government  of  Illi- 
nois but  the  center  of  trade,  wealth  and  political 
influence. 

Although  an  account  of  Colonel  Clark's  conquest 
of  Illinois  has  been  written  many  times,  and  appears 
in  almost  every  western  history,  nevertheless  a  very 
important  matter  has  been  overlooked,  and  the  real 
facts  relating  thereto  have  never  been  published. 
The  early  historian,  probably  ignorant  of  the  facts, 
fell  into  an  error,  and  subsequent  ones  copied  after 
him.  Pepple  are  now  living  in  Randolph  county 
whose  ancestors  were  a  party  to  the  secret  move- 
ments of  the  patriots  of  Illinois,  and  whose  tradi- 
tions to  some  extent  supply  the  missing  links  in  his- 
tory, as  well  as  correct  its  errors.  The  people  in 
Illinois  being  far  away  from  the  seat  of  war  knew 
very  little  of  what  had  transpired  at  the  east,  but 
they  hated  the  British  yoke,  embraced  the  first  op- 
portunity to  throw  it  off,  and  their  manner  of  doing 
it  will  be  shown  in  the  sequel. 

In  the  summer  of  1777  John  Duff,  a  resident  of 
Martinsburg,  Virginia,  in  his  rambles  in  the  west 
came  to  Kaskaskia  and  remained  here  for  some 
months  engaged  in  hunting  along  the  river.  Duff 
being  of  French  descent  spoke  that  language,  min- 
gled freely  with  the  people,  and  found  them  very 


COL.  CLARK'S  CONQUEST  OF  ILLINOIS.       129 

much  dissatisfied  with  the  British  rule,  and  only 
waited  for  an  opportunity  to  change  the  government. 
Late  in  the  fall  Duff  returned  home,  and  while  on 
his  way,  at  the  falls  of  Ohio,  he  fell  in  "with  George 
Roger  Clark,  a  Kentucky  pioneer,  and  told  him  of 
the  state  of  affairs  in  Illinois.  Clark  became  fired 
with  enthusiasm.  Seeing  an  opportunity,  as  he 
thought,  of  immortalizing  himself,  he  accompanied 
Duff  to  Williamsburg,  and  together  they  laid  the 
case  before  Patrick  Henry,  then  Governor  of  Vir- 
ginia. The  governor  and  his  counselors  after  hear- 
ing Duff's  statements  agreed  to  send  an  armed  force 
to  that  distant  country  to  take  possession  of  the 
British  post.  Clark  received  a  commission  of  lieu- 
tenant-colonel, appointed  commander  in  chief  of  this 
expedition,  and  authorized  to  enlist  500  men  for  that 
purpose.  Colonel  Clark  commenced  enlisting  his 
men  for,  as  he  represented  it,  the  defense  of  Ken- 
tucky, keeping  the  true  destination  a  secret.  The 
governor  issued  orders  to  the  commander  of  Fort 
Pitt  for  arms,  military  stores,  and  boats  for  trans-  ' 
portation. 

In  the  spring  of  1778  three  companies  of  volun- 
teers were  collected  at  Fort  Pitt,  and  in  four  boats 
they  descended  the  river  to  the  Falls  of  Ohio,  where 
they  expected  to  be  joined  by  a  company  of  Ken- 
tuckians.  Being  detained  here  some  time  waiting 


130  PIONEEKS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

for.  recruits  a  part  of  one  company  deserted,  and  it 
was  the  middle  of  June  before  they  were  ready  to 
proceed  on  their  journey.  Clark's  army  consisted 
of  four  companies  in  all,  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
three  men,  and  when  their  true  destination  was  an- 
nounced it  created  much  enthusiasm  among  the 
volunteers.  After  dispatching  a  messenger  to  Will- 
iamsburg  notifying  Governor  Henry  of  their  depart- 
ure the  troops  went  aboard  of  their  boats  and  pro- 
ceeded down  the  river. 

John  Duff  returned  to  Illinois  early  in  the  spring 
to  prepare  the  way  for  Clark's  reception,  and  also  to 
make  arrangements  to  meet  the  army  with  a  com- 
petent guide  at  the  mouth  of  Tennessee  River,  On 
Duff's  arrival  at  Kaskaskia  a  consultation  was  held 
with  a  few  leading  patriots,  M.  Gibault,  the  priest, 
among  the  number,  when  it  was  agreed  to  keep 
everything  a  secret,  leaving  the  masses  in  ignorance 
of  what  they  expected  to  transpire.  Duff,  with  John 
Saunders,  a  noted  hunter,  and  two  Frenchmen,  pro- 
vided with  tents,  arms,  provisions,  etc.,  left  Kaskas- 
kia in  a  canoe,  leaving  the  impression  among  the 
people  that  they  were  going  to  hunt  bear  and  elk 
along  the  Ohio  River.  The  hunters  descended  the 
Mississippi,  and  forced  their  frail  barque  up  the  swift 
current  of  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee 
River,  where  they  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  army. 


COL.  CLARK'S  CONQUEST  OF  ILLINOIS.       131 

Here  on  the  bank  of  the  river  they  erected  a  bark 
shanty,  occupying  their  time  hunting  during  the 
daytime,  and  keeping  up  a  bonfire  at  night  so  the 
boats  might  not  pass  without  knowing  of  their  pres- 
ence. Days  passed  away  without  hearing  anything 
from  the  army,  and  the  hunters  had  about  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  project  had  failed  when  four 
boats  filled  with  soldiers,  and  flags  flying,  came 
around  a  bend  in  the  river.  The  hunters  fired  a 
salute,  which  was  returned  by  the  soldiers,  who  with 
martial  music,  loud  cheering,  rounded  to  their  boats 
and  came  on  shore.  After  passing  down  the  river  a 
few  miles  farther,  near  the  ruins  of  old  Fort  Massac, 
they  secreted  their  boats  in  the  mouth  of  a  creek, 
and  taking  all  their  baggage  on  their  backs  they 
proceeded  across  the  country  to  Kaskaskia,  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  distant. 

John  Saunders  acted  as  guide  for  Clark's  army, 
but  in  passing  through  the  country  among  the  lakes 
and  swamps  of  Cache  River  he  lost  his  reckoning, 
and  days  were  spent  in  rambling  through  thick  tim- 
ber, among  bogs  and  briers,  without  knowing  where 
they  were. 

Some  of  the  soldiers  believed  the  pilot  a  traitor, 
and  threatened  to  put  him  to  death,  but  he  asserted 
his  innocence,  and  asked  for  an  escort  to  accompany 
him  in  searching  out  the  way.  After  rambling 


132  PIONEERS   OF    ILLINOIS. 

about  all  day  through  groves  and  prairies  Saunders 
at  last  exclaimed  "  I  know  that  point  of  timber,  and 
beyond  it  is  Kaskaskia." 

Fort  Gage,  at  Kaskaskia,  was  garrisoned  at  that 
time  by  twenty  soldiers  under  the  command  of  Gov- 
ernor Rocheblave,  but  no  sentinels  were  kept  on 
duty;  being,  as  they  believed,  far  away  from  the 
enemy,  it  was  thought  unnecessary. 

Colonel  Clark  on  coming  within  a  few  miles  of 
Kaskaskia,  in  the  afternoon,  remained  secreted  in. 
the  thick  timber  until  late  at  night,  when  he  divided 
his  army  into  three  parts,  two  of  which  took  posses- 
sion of  the  town,  while  the  third,  commanded  by 
himself,  marched  on  the  fort.  A  soldier  who  was  in 
sympathy  with  the  Americans,  and  entrusted  with 
the  secret,  conducted  the  troops  through  a  back  gate 
into  the  fort,  where  they  found  a  light  burning  but 
all  the  inmates  asleep.  The  commander  had  no 
knowledge  of  what  was  going  on  until  awakened 
by  Captain  Kenton  informing  him  that  he  was  a 
prisoner.  The  soldiers  rejoiced  at  this  turn  of 
affairs,  all  of  whom  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
United  States  Government,  and  a  number  of  them 
joined  Clark's  army.  Governor  Rocheblave  was 
probably  the  only  royal  person  in  Illinois.  Being  in 
a  bad  humor  he  cursed  the  Yankees,  the  treacherous 
French,  and  his  disloyal  soldiers.  The  refractory 


COL.  CLARK'S  CONQUEST  OF  ILLINOIS.         133 

governor  was  put  in  irons,  and  under  the  charge  of 
Captain  Montgomery  carried  to  William sburg,  the 
capital  of  Yirginia,  where  he  was  kept  a  prisoner  of 
war  until  exchanged.  His  slaves  were  sold  by 
Colonel  Clark,  and  the  proceeds  being  considered 
prize  money  was  divided  among  the  soldiers.  The 
wife  of  Governor  Rocheblave,  on  the  night  the  fort 
was  taken,  destroyed  all  the  public  papers,  including 
the  archives  of  the  territory,  which  gave  people 
much  trouble  in  after  years.  She  remained  at  Kas- 
kaskia  for  some  time  after  her  husband  was  made  a 
prisoner,  and  Governor  Henry  wrote  to  Colonel  Todd 
to  see  that  she  was  provided  for. 

Colonel  Clark  dispatched  a  company  of  men  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Bowman,  accompanied  by 
many  citizens  of  Kaskaskia,  to  Prairie  du  Rocher, 
Cahokia,  and  other  villages,  and  everywhere  the  in- 
vaders were  received  with  acclamations  of  joy. 

Ten  days  after  Clark's  army  arrived  at  Kaskaskia 
M.  Gibault,  the  village  priest  and  leader  of  the  pa- 
triots in  Illinois,  accompanied  by  a  few  friends,  went 
to  Yincennes,  and  explained  to  his  French  country- 
men the  state  of  affairs  in  Illinois.  All  the  people 
of  the  village  assembled  at  their  church,  headed  by 
their  priest,  and  agreed  to  throw  off  the  British  rule, 
taking  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  States 
Government  and  the  commonwealth  of  Virginia. 


134  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

There  was  no  garrison  at  the  fort,  the  troops  having 
been  removed  a  short  time  before,  consequently  a 
commander  was  appointed  from  among  the  church 
communicants,  the  British  flag  taken  down,  and  the 
stars  and  stripes  put  in  its  place. 

On  the  first  of  August  M.  Gibault  and  party  re- 
turned to  Kaskaskia,  after  an  absence  of  fourteen 
days,  with  the  joyful  intelligence  of  having  adjusted 
everything  at  Vincennes  in  favor  of  American 
interests,  which  caused  much  rejoicing  among  the 
people.  Colonel  Clark  sent  Captain  Helm  to  Vin- 
cennes to  take  charge  of  the  fort,  but  a  short  time 
afterward  the  British  troops,  commanded  by  Colonel 
Hamilton,  took  possession  of  the  place  and  made 
Captain  Helm  and  a  private  named  Henry  prisoners 
•of  war. 

In  February  following  Colonel  Clark,  with  the 
combined  forces  of  Virginians,  French  and  Indians, 
retook  the  place,  and  again  the  stars  and  stripes 
waived  from  the  flag-staff  of  the  fort,  all  of  which 
is  a  matter  of  history. 

France  at  that  time  was  an  ally  of  the  United 
States,  the  first  nation  to  acknowledge  her  independ- 
ence, and  all  the  inhabitants  of  Illinois  were  in 
union  with  the  mother  country.  The  patriots  of  Illi- 
nois had  already  fitted  out  two  expeditions,  one 
commanded  by  Tom  Brady  and  the  other  by  Pue- 


COL.  CLARK'S  CONQUEST  OF  ILLINOIS.      135 

lett  Maize,  both  of  which  captured  the  British  post 
at  St.  Joseph.  The  people  everywhere  through  the 
French  settlements  hailed  Colonel  Clark  as  a  libera- 
tor, and  furnished  his  army  with  provision  free  of 
charge  as  he  had  no  money  to  pay  for  supplies. 
Many  of  the  French  joined  his  army;  a  company 
was  raised  at  Kaskaskia  commanded  by  Captain 
Charlesville,  and  another  at  Cahokia  under  Captain 
McCarty,  and  both  of  these  companies  rendered 
good  service  on  the  "Wabash  in  retaking  the  British 
post  at  Vincennes. 

While  Colonel  Clark  was  engaged  in  reorganizing 
his  army  for  the  purpose  of  marching  against  Vin- 
cennes an  unexpected  trouble  arose  which  for  a  time 
threatened  to  defeat  his  enterprise.  The  Indians 
had  always  been  opposed  to  the  British  rule  in  Illi- 
nois, and  would  have  made  war  against  them  had 
not  the  council  of  their  French  friends  prevailed. 
When  Clark's  army  came  into  the  country  the  Indi- 
ans w.ere  told  that  the  Americans  were  the  friends 
and  allies  of  the  French,  and  they  would  live  together 
as  one  people.  For  awhile  this  appears  to  have 
given  satisfaction,  but  the  stars  and  stripes  continued 
to  float  from  the  flag-staff  of  the  forts  at  Kaskaskia, 
and  Cahokia,  and  the  Indians  insisted  that  these 
should  be  taken  down  and  French  flags  put  in  their 
place.  In  order  to  reconcile  the  Indians  a  council 


136  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

was  called  at  Cahokia  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  a 
compromise,  but  the  leading  chiefs  insisted  that  the 
French  should  be  reinstated  in  authority.  For  a 
time  the  Indians  refused  to  accept  of  any  compro- 
mise that  did  not  put  the  French  in  authority,  and 
an  attempt  was  made  among  the  leaders  to  assassinate 
Colonel  Clark.  Previous  to  the  meeting  of  this 
council  Colonel  Clark  had  sent  Captain  Helm  to  the 
great  chief  Grand  Door,  for  the  purpose  of  effecting 
a  compromise,  and  he  agreed  on  conditions  that  if  his 
band  were  furnished  a  certain  amount  of  goods  at  a 
given  time  the  Americans  would  not  be  molested. 
A  messenger  arrived  at  the  council  with  the  intelli- 
gence of  Grand  Door  having  consented  to  let  the 
Americans  keep  possession  of  the  country,  the  chiefs 
of  other  bands  acquiesced,  and  a  reconciliation  was 
effected. 

As  soon  as  the  Indian  trouble  was  settled  Colonel 
Clark  collected  his  forces,  marched  to  the  "Wabash, 
and  took  possession  of  Vincennes. 

Colonel  Clark  has  been  much  eulogized  for  brav- 
ery and  heroism  in  the  conquest  of  Illinois,  but  the 
fact  is,  no  enemy  opposed  him,  therefore  he  took 
possession  of  a  country  occupied  by  friends,  as  has 
already  been  shown. 


P 


CHAPTER  XII. 

PONTIAC. 
ROB  A  ELY    no   North   American   Indian   has 


acquired  such  fame  and  notoriety,  and  whose 
power  was  so  much  felt  by  the  early  settlers  of  the 
country,  as  Pontiac.  This  Indian,  so  often  referred 
to  by  historians,  was  born  and  raised  near  Detroit, 
and  for  many  years  head  chief  of  the  Ottawa  In- 
dians. Like  Phillip  of  Mount  Hope  his  power  and 
influence  extended  over  neighboring  tribes,  which 
made  him  more  like  a  king  than  a  chief.  So  long 
as  the  French  controlled  the  fur  trade  of  the  lake 
country  Pontiac  lived  on  friendly  terms  with  his 
white  neighbors,  but  when  the  English  took  pos- 
session of  the  country  he  denounced  them  as  ene 
mies.  While  Major  Rogers,  of  the  British  army,  was 
marching  westward  with  a  regiment  of  soldiers  to 
take  possession  of  Detroit  he  was  met  by  Pontiac, 
who  inquired  of  the  commander  by  what  authority  he 
invaded  the  country.  "With  his  tall  figure  raised  to  its 
full  height,  and  holding  his  right  hand  before  the  face 
of  Major  Rogers,  said  to  him  "I  stand  in  your  path, 
and  you  can  go  no  farther  without  my  permission." 


137 


138  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

However,  Pontiac  allowed  the  English  to  take 
possession  of  the  French  trading-posts  along  the 
lakes,  and  for  a  time  appeared  friendly,  but  a  few 
years  afterward  he  made  war  on  the  invaders  with 
the  intention  of  driving  them  from  the  country.  He 
united  with  him  many  of  the  neighboring  tribes,  form- 
ing with  them  an  alliance,  which  is  known  in  his- 
tory as  "Pontiac's  Conspiracy,"  and  a  long,  bloody 
war  resulted  from  it.  In  order  to  carry  on  the  war 
successfully  he  issued  checks  cut  out  of  birch  bark,  on 
which  were  painted  a  picture  of  an  otter,  and  calling 
for  various  amounts  payable  in  furs  or  pelts.  These 
checks  were  taken  by  diiferent  tribes  in  payment  for 
munitions  of  war,  and  all  of  them  redeemed  accord- 
ing to  promise. 

Pontiac,  according  to  accounts,  was  an  -Indian  of 
gigantic  stature,  with  a  towering  intellect,  and  exer- 
cised almost  unlimited  power  over  his  people.  He 
pretended  to  commune  with  the  Great  Spirit,  who 
on  one  occasion  said  to  him  "  Why  do  you  let  these 
dogs  in  red  clothing  take  possession  of  your  coun- 
try ;  rise  in  your  might  and  drive  them  from  the 
land."  At  another  time,  in  addressing  his  warriors, 
said:  "•Although  the  red-coats  have  conquered  the 
French  they  have  not  conquered  us  ;  we  are  not 
slaves  nor  squaws,  and  as  long  as  the  Great  Spirit  is 
our  ruler  we  will  maintain  our  rights.  These  lakes 


AN    ERROR    OF   HISTORY.  139 

and  these  forests  were  given  us  by  our  fathers,  and 
we  will  part  with  them  only  with  our  lives." 

For  a  time  Pontiac  was  victorious,  but  eventually 
the  fortune  of  war  turned  against  him,  many  of  the 
allies  abandoned  the  cause,  which  compelled  him 
to  make  overtures  for  peace.  In  1766  he  attended 
the  great  Indian  council  at  Oswego,  brought  about 
by  Sir  William  Johnson,  and  here  signed  a  treaty  of 
peace,  in  which  he  agreed  to  bury  the  tomahawk 
forever.  On  returning  from  this  council  to  his  native 
forest  in  Michigan  Pontiac  prevailed  on  many  of  his 
friends  to  accompany  him  westward,  telling  them  he 
could  not  think  of  living  neighbors  to  these  red- 
coated  dogs, —  meaning  the  British.  About  two 
hundred  warriors  with  their  families  consented  to 
emigrate,  and  with  this  little  band  of  followers  the 
great  chief  left  forever  his  native  land.  "With  this 
remnant  of  his  tribe  Pontiac  came  to  Illinois,  and 
located  a  village  on  the  Kankakee  River.  This 
band  formed  an  alliance  with  the  Pottawatomies, 
who  occupied  at  that  time  the  lake  and  "Wabash 
countries,  and  from  that  time  they  became  as  one 
people. 

AN  ERROR  OF  HISTORY. 

The  great  mistake  made  by  early  historians  in 
relation  to  the  fate  of  Pontiac  has  been  copied  by 
every  writer  of  western  annals,  but  when  all  the 


140  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

facts  are  examined  this  error  must  be  admitted  by 
every  candid  reader.  I  have  given  this  matter  much 
attention  by  collecting  the  traditions  both  among  the 
French  and  Indians  relating  to  it,  and  these  accounts 
are  susceptible  of  only  one  conclusion. 

In  the  fall  of  1769  a  large,  prepossessing  Ottawa 
Indian,  dressed  in  a  French  uniform,  with  a  big  white 
feather  in  his  cap,  came  to  St.  Louis,  and  repre- 
sented himself  to  the  commander  of  the  fort,  Captain 
St.  Ange,  as  Pontiac.  For  a  number  of  days  this 
Indian  remained  at  the  fort,  drinking  whisky,  boast- 
ing of  his  great  exploits,  and  telling  of  the  many 
scalps  taken  by  his  own  hands.  Pierre  Chouteau,  a 
young  Indian  trader  of  St.  Louis,  became  very  much 
interested  in  this  pompous  chief,  made  him  many 
presents,  and  in  return  for  these  articles  the  chief 
promised  that  in  future  his  people  should  trade  only 
with  Chouteau's  agents. 

This  Indian  after  remaining  some  days  at  St. 
Louis  took  a  canoe  and  went  to  Cahokia,  where  he 
was  much  lionized  by  French  Indians  and  half- 
breeds,  all  of  whom  believed  him  to  be  the  great 
Ottawa  chief,  Pontiac.  Indians  from  a  neighboring 
village  came  to  see  him  and  listen  to  his  boasting 
harangues,  in  which  he  stated  his  plans  of  uniting 
all  the  tribes  of  the  west  in  a  war,  drive  the  British 
from  the  country,  and  restore  to  the  French  all  their 


AN    ERROR    OF    HISTORY.  141 

former  trading-posts.  An  English  trader  at  Caho- 
kia,  named  Williamson,  being  afraid  that  the  reputed 
Pontiac  would  persuade  his  new-made  friends  to 
destroy  his  stock-in-trade,  gave  a  drunken  Indian  a 
barrel  of  whisky  to  assassinate  him,  and  while  the 
pompous  Indian  was  sitting  on  the  ground  at  the 
root  of  a  tree  in  drunken  revelry,  explaining  to  those 
around  him  the  plans  by  which  he  intended  to  drive 
the  red-coats  from  the  country,  this  assassin  em- 
ployed by  Williamson  came  up  behind  him  and 
buried  his  tomahawk  in  his  skull.  After  the  assas- 
sination Captain  St.  Ange  caused  the  remains  to  be 
brought  to  St.  Louis  and  buried  near  the  fort.  Pierre 
Chouteau,  out  of  respect  for  the  fallen  chief,  caused 
a  mound  to  be  raised  over  the  grave  in  accordance 
with  Indian  custom,  on  which  was  placed  a  stone 
with  the  inscription  of  the  name,  time  of  his 
death,  etc. 

Many  years  after  the  event  above  related  Pierre 
and  his  brother,  Auguste  Chouteau,  having  extended 
their  trade  into  the  upper  Illinois  River  country, 
learned  from  the  Indians  the  true  fate  of  Pontiac,  and 
0:1  being  convinced  that  the  Indian  buried  at  the  fort 
was  an  impostor  removed  the  stone  placed  to  his 
memory  and  leveled  down  the  mound. 

An  account  of  the  killing  of  Pontiac  at  Cahokia 
found  its  way  into  newspapers  of  that  day,  and  the 


142  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

chief  coming  to  his  death  about  the  same  time  ac- 
counts for  this  error  in  history. 

Both  history  and  tradition  agree  thai;  the  war 
against  the  Illinois  Indians  grew  out  of  the  assas- 
sination of  Pontiac,  but  the  former  fails  to  show  any 
connection  between  the  two  events.  History  says 
Pontiac  was  killed  by  a  Kaskaskia  Indian  in  a 
drunken  row  at  Cahokia,  and  in  avenging  this  crime 
a  war  was  inaugurated  against  the  Illinois  Indians. 
The  Kaskaskia  Indians  were  not  engaged  in  the  war 
with  the  allied  forces  which  terminated  so  fatally  to 
the  northern  bands,  and  they  continued  to  live  in 
the  country  for  more  than  fifty  years  after  that  occur- 
rence. The  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  bands  spoke  the 
same  language  as  those  at  the  north,  and  by  some  his- 
torians called  Illinoisans,  but  it  is  a  well-known  fact 
that  these  bands  were  not  engaged  in  the  many  wars 
with  the  Iroquois  before  and  after  the  French  came 
to  the  country,  and  they  took  no  part  in  the  war 
that  followed  the  assassination  of  Pontiac.  The 
Illinois  Indians  proper,  against  whom  the  allies  made 
war,  included  only  those  bands  living  between  the 
Sungamon  Kiver  and  Lake  Michigan.  It  was  against 
these  northern  bands  that  the  different  tribes  made 
war,  which  terminated  in  their  annihilation,  the  last 
of  whom  perished  on  Starved  Rock,  an  account  of 
which  will  be  narrated  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 


AN    ERROR    OF    HISTORY.  143 

According  to  history  Pontiac  was  killed  in  the 
fall  of  1769,  and  the  traditions  of  both  French  and 
Indians  agree  that  the  Starved  Rock  tragedy  oc- 
curred in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  All  accounts 
agree  that  a  bloody  war  intervened  between  the  for- 
mer and  latter  events,  and  this  establishes  a  connect- 
ing link  between  the  two.  For  the  purpose  of  show- 
ing that  the  Indian  killed  at  Cahokia  was  not  Pontiac 
I  give  the  statement  of  an  old  gentleman,  still  liv- 
ing, who  was  born  and  raised  where  this  event  oc- 
curred, and  his  statement  harmonizes  with  others. 

Auguste  Binet  says  in  his  boyhood  days  a  party 
of  Indians  were  in  the  habit  of  making  almost  daily 
visits  to  Cahokia  for  the  purpose  of  trade,  drinking 
whisky,  etc.  Among  these  visitors  was  an  old  In- 
dian who  witnessed  the  assassination  of  the  reputed 
Pontiac,  and  made  many  statements  in  relation  to 
it.  He  said  the  Indian  killed  at  Cahokia  was  a  petty 
Ottawa  chief  from  Michigan  who  is  said  to  have  re- 
sembled Pontiac  both  in  face  and  form.  This  In- 
dian representing  himself  to  be  Pontiac  had  spent 
some  time  at  St.  Vincent,  on  the  "Wabash,  in  trying 
to  raise  a  force  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  the  Brit- 
ish garrison  at  that  place.  But  failing  in  this  he 
came  to  St.  Louis,  and  offered  his  services  to  Cap- 
tain St.  Ange  in  retaking  of  Illinois  by  enlisting  a 
large  band  of  warriors  to  capture  Fort  Chartres,  but 


144  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

meeting  with  no  encouragement  from  the  commander 
he  left  for  Cahokia,  where  he  was  assassinated  a  few 
days  afterward. 

The  assassin  was  a  drunken,  worthless  vagabond 
name  Spawse,  who  suffered  the  penalty  of  his  crime, 
being  condemned  and  executed  according  to  law. 
Williamson,  who  was  accused  of  being  accessory  to 
the  murder,  sold  out  his  stock-in-trade  a  few  days 
after  the  assassination,  and  fled  from  the  country  to 
escape  punishment  for  his  crime. 

THE  OTTAWAS  ORDERED  OUT  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  Pontiac  with  a 
remnant  of  his  band  established  a  village  on  the 
Kankakee  River,  and  here  the  great  warrior,  hero 
of  many  battles,  intended  to  end  his  days  in  peace 
and  quiet  far  away  from  the  English,  whom  he  so 
much  hated.  But  the  country  of  his  adoption  be- 
longed to  the  Illinois  Indians,  who  regarded  the 
Ottawas  as  intruders.  Kineboo,  the  head  chief  of 
the  Illinoisans,  accompanied  by  a  retinue  of  warriors 
all  mounted  on  ponies,  went  to  the  Ottawa  camp, 
and  found  the  new-comers  engaged  in  building 
lodges  and  making  preparations  to  plant  corn.  The 
chief  notified  Pontiac' s  band  that  they  were  tres- 
passers, and  gave  them  two  moons  to  leave  the 
country,  and  if  found  there  at  the  expiration  of  that 


MASSACRE    OP    A    HUNTING    PARTY.  145 

time  he  would  remove  them  by  force.  But  when 
the  Illinoisans  learned  that  the  Ottawas  were  backed 
by  the  powerful  tribe  of  Pottawatomies  they  did  not 
molest  them.* 

MASSACRE  OF  A  HUNTING  PARTY. 

On  account  of  the  green-headed  flies  the  buffalo 
would  leave  the  W abash  country  and  range  west 
and  north  of  the  Illinois  River  during  the  summer 
months.  In  the  east  part  of  the  state  buffalo  were 
seldom  seen,  while  the  prairie  westward  for  miles  in 
extent  was  frequently  blackened  by  large  herds  of 
them.  On  this  account  the  Pottawatomies  and  Ot- 
tawas were  in  the  habit  of  hunting  west  of  the  river, 
which  gave  offense  to  the  Illinoisans,  who  regarded 
it  as  a  trespass  on  their  rights. 

A  party  of  about  thirty  Ottawa  hunters,  among 
whom  was  Pontiac,  had  been  killing  buffalo  during  the 
day  on  the  prairie  eight  leagues  west  of  La  Yantum. 
At  night  the  hunters  camped  in  a  grove  of  timber, 
with  the  intention  of  renewing  the  hunt  on  the  fol- 

*  The  above  facts  relating  to  Pontiac  I  obtained  from  Shaubona,  a  cele- 
brated chief  who  was  well-known  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  whose  verac- 
ity has  never  been  questioned.  Shaubona's  father  belonged  to  Pontiac's  band, 
came  to  Illinois  with  them,  and  here  at  this  village  on  the  Kankakee  River  the 
old  chief  was  born.  Rev.  David  K.  Foster,  an  educated  half-breed  now  living 
in  Allegan  county,  Michigan,  is  a  nephew  of  Shaubona,  and  has  furnished  me 
many  items  in  relation  to  his  grandfather.  He  says  his  grandfather  was  a 
chief  under  Pontiac,  also  engaged  in  subsequent  wars,  and  one  of  the  signers 
of  the  treaty  at  Greenville  in  1795.  The  speech  made  at  that  time  by  him  has 
been  handed  down  by  tradition,  of  which  Foster  has  written  out  in  full  and 
furnished  me  with  a  copy  of  it. 
10 


146  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

lowing  day.  Next  morning  while  the  hunters  were 
sitting  around  a  camp-fire  unconscious  of  danger 
they  were  attacked  by  a  large  party  of  Illinois  war- 
riors, and  many  of  them  slain.  Pontiac  was  wound- 
ed., but  by  the  swiftness  of  his  pony  made  good  his 
escape.* 

A  bloody  war  followed  this  massacre,  and  for  a 
time  both  parties  met  with  victories  and  defeats. 
The  Pottawatomies  and  Ottawas  would  send  war 
parties  into  the  Illinois  country,  burn  their  towns, 
destroy  corn,  kill  squaws  and  papooses,  and  carry 
off  ponies,  furs,  etc.  Then  the  Illinoisans  would 
retaliate  on  their  enemies  by  making  raids  into  their 
country,  killing  defenseless  squaws,  burning  and 
destroying  everything  that  lay  in  their  way.  After 
this  war  had  continued  for  some  time  the  Illinoisans 

*  The  grove  referred  to  is  supposed  to  have  heen  the  head  of  Bureau  tim- 
ber, near  the  village  of  La  Moille.  and  known  in  the  early  settlement  of  the 
country  as  Dimmick  Grove.  In  the  spring  of  1830  Daniel  Dimmick  made  a 
claim  here,  and  built  a  cabin  near  the  head  of  the  grove,  on  what  is  now  known 
as  the  Collins  farm.  He  lived  on  this  claim  about  two  years,  until  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  when  he  left  it  and  never  returned,  but  for  many 
years  the  grove  bore  his  name. 

A  short  distance  below  Dimmick's  cabin,  near  the  bank  of  Pike  Creek,  and 
by  the  side  of  a  spring,  was  an  old  Indian  camping-ground,  and  during  the  fall 
and  winter  hunting  parties  were  frequently  found  here.  In  the  winter  of  1830- 
31  a  party  of  Indians  from  the  Illinois  River,  among  whom  was  the  noted  chief 
Shick  Shack,  were  encamped  here  for  many  days,  while  hunting  deer  in  the 
grove. 

Shick  Shack  said  to  Dimmick,  while  in  conversation,  that  a  long  time  ago  a 
hunting  party  of  Ottawa  Indians  were  encamped  on  this  very  spot,  when  they 
were  attacked  by  the  Illinoisans,  a  large  portion  of  them  killed,  and  their  great 
war  chief,  Pontiac,  wounded.  From  that  time,  continued  the  old  chief,  the  tribes 
were  at,  war  with  each  other,  which  continued  until  all  the  Illinoisans  were  slain, 
the  last  of  whom  perished  on  Starved  Rock. 


PONTIAC    ASSASSINATED.  147 

sued  for  peace,  and  a  council  was  called  by  the  con- 
tending parties  to  agree  on  terms. 

INDIAN  COUNCIL.    PONTIAC  ASSASSINATED.* 

A  council  met  at  the  great  mound  on  the  Des 
Plaines  River,  near  the  present  site  of  Joliet,  and  was 
attended  by  all  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  respective 
tribes.  For  a  time  the  deliberations  of  the  council 
were  harmonious,  but  when  the  allies  claimed  a  part 
of  the  Illinois  territory  as  the  only  condition  of 
peace,  ill  feelings  were,  manifested.  Kineboo,  the 
head  chief  of  the  Illinoisans,  in  a  speech  said: 
"  Rather  than  submit  to  these  terms  we  will  sacrifice 
the  last  drop  of  blood  in  our  veins,  and  leave  our 
squaws  and  papooses  to  be  tomahawked  and  scalped 
by  a  barbarous  enemy."  Pontiac  next  addressed 
the  council,  and  great  attention  was  given  to  what 
he  said.  His  tall,  manly  form,  unimpaired  by  age, 
was  an  object  of  admiration,  and  his  sprightly  elo- 
quence carried  all  his  friends  with  him.  With  much 
enthusiasm  he  called  on  his  brother  chiefs  to  stand 
by  him,  and  never  lay  down  the  tomahawk  until 
their  terms  were  acceded  to.  .  "While  Pontiac  was 


.  —  The  assassination  of  Pontiac,  the  war  which  followed  it,  and  the 
tragedy  of  Starved  Rock,  are  compi'ed  principally  from  traditionary  accounts 
recently  collected  among  the  Pottawatomies  and  Ottawas  of  western  Kansas, 
whose  ancestors  lived  on  the  Illinois  River.  The  accounts  given  of  these  events 
were  gathered  by  Colonel  Joseph  N.  Bourassa,  an  educated  half-breed  of  Silver 
Lake  Kansas,  expressly  for  this  book,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  about  the 
principal  facts. 


148  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

thus  speaking  Kineboo  drew  his  scalping-knife  and 
stabbed  him  to  the  heart.  Thus  perished  the  greatest 
warrior  of  his  day. 

Over  the  remains  of  Pontiac  the  warriors  held  a 
council,  at  which  it  was  agreed  to  avenge  his  death, 
and  they  made  preparations  for  its  execution.  They 
cut  off  the  head  and  legs  of  the  dead  chief,  boiled 
them  to  separate  the  flesh  from  the  bones,  and  with 
the  skull  and  cross-bones  placed  on  a  pointed  pole 
they  were  prepared  to  go  forth  to  victory.  Miamis, 
Kickapoos,  Shawnees,  Chippewas,  and  other  tribes 
who  had  fought  with  Pontiac,  came  forward  to  avenge 
his  death.  Even  the  white  outlaw  Bernett,  who  had 
long  since  become  a  savage  and  chief  of  a  small  band, 
marshaled  his  warriors  and  took  a  part  in  the  bloody 
strife.  The  combined  forces  of  these  tribes  consti- 
tuted the  most  formidable  Indian  army  ever  collected 
in  the  west,  and  for  savage  brutality  it  has  no  parallel 
in  the  annals  of  Indian  warfare.  Their  motto  was 
victory  or  death,  no  quarter  to  the  enemy,  and  never 
lay  down  the  tomahawk  until  the  Illinoisans  were 
annihilated. 

A  WAK  OF  EXTERMINATION. 

The  allied  forces  attacked  and  destroyed  all  the 
villages  along  the  Illinois  River,  killing  and  scalping 
defenseless  squaws  and  papooses,  but  the  principal 


A    WAR    OF   EXTERMINATION.  149 

town,  La  Yantum,  which  was  fortified  and  defended 
by  the  bravest  warriors,  they  had  not  molested.  At 
this  town  the  remnants  of  the  different  bands  were 
collected,  and  here  they  intended  to  make  their  last 
defense  against  the  victorious  invaders.  Small  tim- 
bers and  brush  were  brought  from  a  neighboring 
grove  with  which  barricades  had  been  erected  around 
three  sides  of  the  town  the  river  bounding  the  fourth. 
Inside  this  fortification '  were  collected  from  many 
distant  towns  all  that  was  left  of  the  Illinois  Indi- 
ans, numbering  perhaps  about  ten  thousand,  of 
whom  two  thousand  were  warriors. 

Days  and  weeks  passed  away,  the  summer  almost 
ended,  and  the  enemy  had  not  appeared,  and  it  was 
thought  they  had  left  the  country.  Preparations 
were  made  for  holding  a  great  feast,  offering  up  sac- 
rifices to  the  gods  of  war  for  deliverance  from  their 
enemies.  Music  and  dancing  were  again  introduced 
into  the  great  Illinois  town,  and  people  old  and 
young  gave  themselves  up  to  enjoyment  as  in  former 
days.  The  warriors  brought  forth  scalps  taken  from 
the  enemy,  and  in  merry  glee  danced  around  them. 
Naked  papooses  played  in  the  dirt,  running  to  and 
fro  in  their  childlike  sports.  Young  maidens  and 
their  lovers  amused  themselves  with  songs  and 
dances,  and  talking  of  happy  days  in  the  future. 
Thus  for  many  days  the  Indians  gave  themselves  up 


150  PIONEERS    OF    ILLIXOIS. 

to  feasting  and  amusements,  unconscious  of  the  great 
calamity  which  was  about  to  befall  them. 

It  was  near  the  close  of  a  warm  day  in  the  early 
part  of  Indian  summer  when  the  Indians,  old  and 
young  of  both  sexes,  were  arrayed  in  their  best  ap- 
parel, ornamented  with  beads,  feathers,  rings,  etc., 
were  collected  on  an  open  square  to  celebrate  the 
marriage  of  the  head  chief's  daughter.  But  while  in 
the  midst  of  gaiety  they  were  horrified  to  see  the 
great  meadow  to  the  east  covered  by  the  enemy,  who 
were  moving  on  them  with  great  rapidity.  In  front 
of  tlie  invaders  on  a  red  pole  was  carried  the  skull 
and  cross-bones  ot  Pontiac,  showing  that  no  quarter 
would  be  given.  The  drums  beat,  warriors  grasped 
their  arms  and  in  a  moment  were  ready  for  battle, 
while  a  wail  of  lamentation  was  raised  by  the  fright- 
ened squaws  and  papooses.  On  came  the  allied 
forces  with  such  rapidity  that  a  large  number  of 
them  scaled  the  breastworks,  and  entered  the  town 
without  opposition.  But  here  the  assailants  were 
met  by  the  defenders,  and  most  of  them  slain  before 
they  could  recross  it  to  join  their  comrades.  When 
the  invaders  witnessed  the  fate  of  their  comrades  they 
were  spell-bound,  and  before  recovering  from  the 
panic  the  Illinoisans  with  a  large  force  attacked 
them,  when  in  confusion  they  fled,  leaving  behind 
them  their  dead  and  wounded. 


A    WAR    OF    EXTERMINATION.  151 

The  invaders,  having  been  repulsed  with  great 
slaughter,  retired  to  Buffalo  Rock,  where  a  con- 
sultation was  held,  at  which  they  agreed  to  renew 
the  attack  in  the  morning  and  continue  the  fighting 
until  the  Illinoisans  were  exterminated.  Morning 
came,  and  with  it  also  came  blood  and  carnage  un- 
equaled  in  Indian  warfare. 

After  the  invaders  were  repulsed  the  victors 
spent  the  night  in  dancing  over  the  scalps,  and  offer- 
ing up  sacrifices  to  the  Great  Manitou  for  success  in 
battle.  Having  spent  the  night  in  rejoicing  they 
were  found  asleep  in  the  morning,  and  while  slum- 
bering they  were  again  attacked,  and  before  they 
could  marshal  their  hosts  the  invaders  in  large  num- 
bers entered  the  town,  killing  all  that  lay  in  their 
way,  sparing  neither  squaws,  papooses,  aged  or  in- 
firm. But  the  assailants  were  again  met  by  brave 
warriors,  and  repulsed  with  great  slaughter.  Again 
and  again  the  town  was  entered,  when  a  hand-to- 
hand  conflict  raged  with  fearful  strife,  the  allies  fall- 
ing back  only  for  reinforcements.  For  twelve  long 
hours  the  battle  raged,  a  large  portion  of  the  Illinois 
warriors  were  slain,  and  hundreds  of  squaws  and 
papooses  lay  lifeless  in  their  bloody  gore.  Night  at 
last  came,  but  the  battle  continued.  Against  the 
large  invading  force  the  defenders  could  make  but  a 
feeble  resistance,  and  soon  all  must  be  slain.  But 


152  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

fortunately  a  heavy  rain-storm  came  on,  and  in  the 
darkness  of  the  night  it  became  impossible  to  distin- 
guish friends  from  foes,  consequently  for  a  time  fur- 
ther slaughter  was  suspended. ' 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  ROCK  OF  REFUGE. 

DURING  a  rain-storm,  and  in  the  darkness  of 
the  night,  the  Illinoisans  launched  their  canoes 
across  the  river,  and  ascended  Starved  Rock.  Here 
on  this  rock  were  collected  the  remnant  of  the  Illinois 
Indians,  consisting  of  about  twelve  hundred,  three 
hundred  of  whom  were  warriors.  On  the  summit 
of  Starved  Rock  the  fugitives  felt  secure  from  their 
enemies,  and  they  offered  up  prayers  and  sang- 
songs  of  praise  to  the  Great  Manitou  for  their  safe 
deliverance.  Many  years  before,  Tonti  with  fifty 
French  soldiers  and  one  hundred  Indian  allies  held 
this  rock  when  attacked  by  two  thousand  Iroquois 
warriors,  and  put  them  to  flight,  consequently  on 
this  spot  they  felt  secure  from  their  enemies. 

Morning  came,  and  with  it  a  clear  sky  and  a 
bright  sun,  and  from  their  elevated  position  they 
looked  down  on  their  enemies  encamped  on  the 
groat  meadow  below.  Soon  the  allied  forces  were 
in  motion,  moving  on  the  town  to  complete  their 
bloody  work,  but  soon  discovered  their  intended  vic- 

153 


154  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

tims  had  fled.  The  wounded,  sick,  and  infirm  by 
age,  who  could  not  escape  with  their  friends,  were 
slain,  the  town  burned,  and  the  dead  bodies  left  un- 
buried,  where  their  swollen  and  distorted  remains 
were  found  many  days  afterward. 

The  allied  forces  forded  the  river  on  the  rapids, 
surrounded  Starved  Rock,  and  made  preparations  to 
ascend  it  to  complete  their  victory.  With  deafening 
yells  the  warriors  crowded  up  the  steep,  rocky  path- 
way, but  on  -reaching  the  summit  they  were  met  by 
brave  Illinoisans,  who  with  war-clubs  and  toma- 
hawks sent  them  bleeding  and  lifeless  down  the 
rugged  precipice.  Again  and  again  the  assailants 
rallied,  and  rushed  forward  to  assist  their  friends, 
but  one  after  another  were  slain  on  reaching  the 
summit,  and  their  dead  bodies  thrown  from  the  rock 
into  the  river  below.  On  came  fresh  bands  of  assail- 
ants. The  fearful  struggle  continued  until  the  rock 
was  red  and  slippery  with  human  gore,  and  the  yells 
of  the  victors  could  be  heard  above  the  shrieks  and 
groans  of  the  dying.  Connected  with  this  bloody 
battle  on  Starved  Rock  is  a  romantic  story,  which 
was  current  at  the  time  among  the  French  and  half- 
breeds  at  Peoria,.  and  is  now  narrated  by  their  de- 
scendants. A  .young  warrior  named  Belix,  a  half- 
breed,  who.  had  distinguished  himself  in  previous 
battles,  and  wore  on  his  breast  a  badge  of  honor, 


THE    BESIEGERS    AND    BESIEGED.  155 

which  designated  him  the  bravest  of  the  brave.  This 
young  warrior  having  wooed  and  won  a  beautiful 
maiden,  a  daughter  of  the  head  chief,  Kineboo,  and 
the  time  had  arrived  to  celebrate  the  marriage  rites. 
But  in  the  midst  of  the  marriage  festival,  and  before 
the  bride  was  given  away,  the  ceremony  was  brought 
to  a  close  by  the  alarm  of  approaching  enemy,  as 
previously  stated.  When  the  allied  forces  assaulted 
the  fugitives  on  Starved  Rock  foremost  among  the 
warriors  in  repelling  the  assailants  was  young  Belix, 
and  with  his  war-club  cleaved  the  skulls  of  many  of 
the  enemy.  During  the  fight  his  fancied  bride 
stood  near  by  witnessing  the  bloody  strife  as  one 
after  another  fell  before  his  magic  war-club,  but  at 
last  saw  her  lover's  skull  split  open  with  a  tomahawk. 
With  a  wild  scream  she  sprang  from  the  rock  down 
the  fearful  precipice,  her  body  falling  from  crag  to 
crag  until  it  landed  mangled,  bleeding  and  lifeless 
in  the  river  below. 

THE  BESIEGERS  AND  BESIEGED. 

On  a  high,  rocky  cliff  south  of  Starved  Rock, 
known  as  Devil's  Nose,  the  allied  forces  collected 
during  the  night  small  timbers,  with  which  they 
erected  a  temporary  breastwork.  From  this  breast- 
work they  fired  on  the  besieged,  killing  some  and 
wounding  others,  and  among  the  latter  was  Kineboo, 


156  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

head  chief  of  the  tribe.  The  fortification  protecting 
the  south  side  of  Starved  Rock  had  fallen  into  de- 
cay, fifty-one  years  having  elapsed  since  the  French 
abandoned  Fort  St.  Louis.  The  palisades  had  rotted 
off,  and  earth-works  moulded  down  to  one-half  their 
original  height,  consequently  they  afforded  but  little 
protection.  To  remedy  the  defect  the  besieged  cut 
down  some  of  the  stunted  cedars  that  crowned  the 
summit  of  the  rock,  with  which  they  erected  barri- 
cades along  the  embankment  to  shield  themselves 
from  the  rifle-balls  and  arrows  of  the  enemy. 

The  besieged  were  now  protected  from  the  mis- 
siles of  their  assailants,  but  another  enemy  still  more 
dreadful  —  that  of  hunger  and  thirst  —  began  to 
alarm  them.  When  they  took  refuge  here  on  the 
rock  they  carried  with  them  a  small  quantity  of  pro- 
vision, but  this  supply  was  now  exhausted,  and  star- 
vation stared  them  in  the  face.  At  first  this  rock 
was  thought  to  be  a  haven  of  safety,  but  it  now  ap- 
peared likely  to  be  their  tomb,  but  without  a  mur- 
mur brave  warriors  made  preparations  to  meet  their 
fate.  Day  after  day  passed  away,  mornings  and 
evenings  came  and  went,  and  still  the  Illinoisans 
continued  to  be  closely  guarded  by  the  enemy,  leav- 
ing them  no  opportunity  to  escape  from  their  rocky 
prison.  Famishing  with  thirst  caused  them  to  cut 
up  some  of  their  buckskin  clothing,  out  of  which 


THE    BESIEGERS    AND    BESIEGED.  157 

they  made  cords  to  draw  water  out  of  the  river,  but 
the  besiegers  had  placed  a  guard  at  the  base  of  the 
rock,  protected  by  a  projecting  crag,  and  as  soon  as 
the  vessel  reached  the  water  cut  the  cord,  or  by  giv- 
ing it  a  quick  jerk  pulled  the  water  drawer  over  the 
precipice,  and  his  body  fall  headlong  into  the  river 
below. 

As  days  passed  away  the  besieged  sat  on  the  rock 
gazing  on  the  great  meadow  below,  over  which  they 
had  ofttimes  roamed  at  pleasure,  and  they  longed  for 
freedom  once  more.  The  site  of  their  town  was  in 
plain  view,  but  instead  of  lodges  and  camping-tents 
with  people  passing  to  and  fro,  as  in  former  days,  it 
was  now  a  lonely,  dismal  waste,  blackened  by  fire, 
and  covered  with  the  swollen  and  ghastly  remains  of 
the  slain.  Buzzards  were  hovering  around,  flying  back 
and  forth  over  the  desolated  town,  and  feasting  on 
the  dead  bodies  of  their  friends.  At  night  they  looked 
upon  the  silent  stars  toward  the  spirit  land,  and  in 
their  wild  imagination  saw  angels  waiting  to  receive 
them.  While  sleeping  they  dreamed  of  roaming  over 
woods  and  prairie  in  pursuit  of  game,  or  cantering 
their  ponies  across  the  plains,  but  on  awaking  from 
their  slumber  they  found  it  all  a  delusion.  Their  sleep 
was  disturbed  by  the  moans  and  sighs  of  the  suffer- 
ers, and  when  morning  came  it  was  but  the  harbin- 
ger of  another  day  of  torture.  From  their  rocky 


158  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

prison  they  could  see  the  ripe  corn  in  their  fields, 
and  on  a  distant  prairie  a  herd  of  buffalo  were  graz- 
ing, but  while  in  sight  of  plenty  of  food  they  were 
famishing  with  hunger.  Below  them  at  the  base  of 
the  rock  flowed  the  Illinois  River,  and  as  its  clear, 
rippling  water  glided  softly  by  it  appeared  in  mock- 
ery to  their  burning  thirst. 

They  had  been  twelve  days  on  the  rock,  closely 
guarded  by  the  enemy,  much  of  that  time  suffering 
from  hunger  and  thirst.  Their  small  stock  of  provi- 
sion had  long  since  become  exhausted,  and  early 
and  late  the  little  ones  were  heard  crying  for  food. 
The  mother  would  hold  her  infant  to  her  breast  to 
soothe  its  wailing,  but  alas,  the  fountain  that  sup- 
ported life  had  dried  up,  and  the  little  sufferer  would 
turn  away  with  a  feeble  cry.  Young  maidens  whose 
comely  form,  sparkling  eyes  and  blooming  cheeks 
were  the  pride  of  the  band,  became  pale,  feeble  and 
emaciated,  and  with  a  feeling  of  resignation  they 
looked  upward  to  their  home  in  the  spirit  land.  One 
of  the  squaws,  the  companion  of  a  noted  chief,  while 
in  a  fit  of  delirium  caused  by  hunger  and  thirst  threw 
her  infant  from  the  summit  of  the  rock  into  the  river 
below,  and  with  a  wild,  piercing  scream  followed  it. 
A  few  brave  warriors  attempted  to  escape  from  their 
rocky  prison,  but  on  descending  were  slain  by  the 
vigilant  guards.  Others  in  their  wild  frenzy  hurled 


THE    BESIEGERS    AND    BESIEGED.  159 

their  tomahawks  at  the  fiends  below,  and  singing 
their  death  song  laid  down  to  die. 

The  last  lingering  hope  was  now  abandoned,  hun- 
ger and  thirst  had  done  their  dreadful  work,  the  cries 
of  the  young,  and  lamentations  of  the  aged,  were 
heard  only  in  a  whisper,  their  tongues  swollen  and 
their  lips  crisped  from  thirst  so  they  could  scarcely 
give  utterance  to  their  sufferings.  Old  white-headed 
chiefs,  feeble  and  emaciated,  reduced  almost  to  a 
skeleton,  crept  away  under  branches  of  evergreens 
to  breathe  their  last.  Proud  young  warriors  pre- 
ferred to  die  upon  this  strange  rocky  fortress  by  star- 
vation and  thirst  rather  than  surrender  themselves 
to  the  scalping  knives  of  a  victorious  enemy.  Many 
had  died,  their  remains  lying  here  and  there  on  the 
rocky  summit,  and  the  effluvium  caused  by  putrefac- 
tion greatly  annoyed  the  besiegers.  A  few  of  the 
more  hardy  warriors  for  a  time  feasted  on  the  dead, 
eating  the  flesh  and  drinking  the  blood  of  their  com- 
rades as  soon  as  life  was  extinct. 

A  party  of  the  allied  forces  now  ascended  the 
rock  and  tomahawked  all  those  who  had  survived 
the  famine,  scalping  old  and  young,  and  left  the  re- 
mains to  decay  on  the  rock,  where  the  bones  were 
seen  many  years  afterward.  Thus  perished  the 
large  tribe  of  Illinois  Indians,  and  with  the  exception 
of  a  solitary  warrior  they  became  extinct. 


160  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Near  the  close  of  the  Starved  Rock  siege  a  young 
warrior  during  a  severe  rain-storm  and  darkness  of 
the  night  took  a  buckskin  cord,  which  had  been  used 
for  drawing  water,  and  fastening'it  to  the  trunk  of  a 
cedar  tree  let  himself  down  into  the  river,  and  thus 
made  his  escape,  being  the  only  survivor  of  this  fear- 
ful tragedy.  This  young  warrior  was  partly  white, 
being  a  descendant,  on  his  father's  side,  from  the 
French,  who  lived  at  Fort  St.  Louis  many  years  be- 
fore. Being  alone  in  the  world,  without  friends  or 
kindred,  he  went  to  Peoria,  joined  the  colony,  and 
there  ended  his  days.  He  embraced  Christianity, 
became  an  officer  in  the  church,  assuming  the  name 
of  Antonia  La  Bell,  and  his  descendants  are  now  liv- 
ing near  Prairie  du  Rocher,  one  of  whom,  Charles 
La  Bell,  was  a  party  to  a  suit  in  the  United  States 
court  to  recover  the  land  where  Peoria  now  stands. 

VARIOUS  TRADITIONARY  EVIDENCE. 

Colonel  Joseph  K.  Bourassa,  of  Silver  Lake, 
Kansas,  who  collected  from  among  his  people,  whose 
ancestors  lived  on  the  Illinois  River,  a  large  amount 
of  traditionary  matter  relating  to  the  massacre  on 
Starved  Rock,  says  no  incident  in  Indian  warfare 
made  so  lasting  an  impression  on  their  minds  as  this, 
and  the  main  facts  relating  thereto  will  be  kept  in 
remembrance  for  many  generations  to  come.  The 


VARIOUS  TRADITIONARY  EVIDENCE.  161 

many  accounts  collected  by  Colonel  Bourassa  differ 
somewhat  in  detail,  but  all  agree  on  the  principal 
events  —  that  it  occurred  in  the  fall  of  1T69,  and  the 
Illinoisans  were  all  annihilated.  Bourassa  says  when 
a  boy  he  heard  two  aged  warriors,  who  had  partici- 
pated in  the  massacre  of  Starved  Rock,  narrate  many 
incidents  which  took  place  at  the  time,  and  this  ac- 
count corresponds  with  other  stories  that  have  come 
down  through  several  generations. 

In  the  early  settlement  of  the  country  an  old  In- 
dian named  Mashaw  frequently  visited  the  trading- 
houses  at  Hennepin  and  Ottawa,  and  through  an  in- 
terpreter made  various  statements  in  relation  to  the 
Starved  Rock  tragedy.  He  said  at  the  time  it  oc- 
curred he  was  a  small  boy,  accompanying  his  father; 
was  present  at  the  siege,  and  saw  the  destruction  of 
the  Illinois  Indians.  He  said  after  many  days'  fight- 
ing a  number  of  warriors  during  the  night  descended 
from  the  rock,  and  attempted  to  fight  their  way 
through  the  lines,  but  were  all  slain  except  seven, 
who  succeeded  in  effecting  their  liberty. 

As  late  as  1828  a  small  band  of  Indians  had  a 
village  on  the  north  side  of  Lake  Depue,  and  raised 
corn  on  a  little  bottom  prairie  now  included  in  the 
farm  of  Charles  Savage.  Among  these  Indians  was 
a  very  old  man,  who  frequently  accompanied  his 

grandson  in  a  canoe  to  Hartzell's  trading  house  near 
11 


162  PIONEEKS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

the  present  site  of  Hennepin.  This  old  Indian  said 
he  was  born  on  the  Wabash,  and  was  ten  years  old 
at  the  time  of  the  Starved  Rock  tragedy.  His  father 
participated  in  this  affair,  and  two  of  his  uncles  were 
killed  in  the  fight  before  the  Illinoisans  took  refuge 
on  the  rock.  He  said  the  fight  at  the  town  lasted 
two  days,  and  hundreds  of  warriors  on  both  sides 
were  slain.  Two  years  after  this  affair  the  band  to 
which  this  old  Indian  belonged  emigrated  to  Illinois, 
and  built  a  town  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  op- 
posite Lake  Depue.  At  that  time,  and  for  many 
years  after,  where  the  great  battle  was  fought  acres 
of  ground  were  covered  with  human  bones,  and  the 
summit  of  Starved  Rock  almost  covered  with  skulls 
and  bones  of  the  victims.  Medore  Jennette,  an  em- 
ploye of  Auguste  and  Pierre  Chouteau,  fur-traders 
at  St.  Louis,  lived  many  years  in  an  Indian  village 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Fox  River,  and  has  left  his 
numerous  descendants  many  traditions  relating 
to  early  times.  Jennette  came  to  the  country  in 
1772,  three  years  after  the  Illinois  Indians  were  an- 
nihilated, and  found  the  summit  of  Starved  Rock 
covered  with  human  bones.  The  Indians  believed 
an  evil  spirit  stood  guard  over  these  bones,  and  on 

account  of  this  superstitious  notion  they  could  not  be 

i 

prevailed  on  to  go  near  the  rock. 

A  short  distance  below  Starved  Rock,  on  what 


A    GHASTLY    SPECTACLE.  163 

was  then  known  as  the  great  battle-field,  many  acres 
of  ground  were  whitened  by  bones  and  skulls. 

An  old  Indian  called  Shaddy,  who  was  born  and 
raised  on  the  Illinois  River,  went  west  with  his 
band  in  1834.  Two  years  afterward  he  came  back 
to  look  once  more  upon  the  scenes  of  his  youth,  and 
during  the  winter  of  1836-7  hunted  in  the  river  tim- 
ber and  along  Bureau  Creek.  In  conversation  with 
this  old  Indian  I  obtained  many  interesting  items  in 
relation  to  past  events.  He  said  his  father  was  at 
the  siege  of  Starved  Rock,  and  all  the  Illinois  In- 
dians perished  except  one.  This  was  a  young  half- 
breed  who  let  himself  down  into  the  river  by  a  buck- 
skin cord  during  a  severe  rain-storm,  and  in  the 
darkness  of  the  night  made  his  escape. 

A  GHASTLY  SPECTACLE. 

A  few  days  after  the  destruction  of  the  Illinois 
Indians  a  party  of  traders  from  Peoria,  among  whom 
were  Robert  Maillet  and  Felix  La  Pance,  while  re- 
turning from  Canada  with  three  canoes  loaded  with 
goods,  stopped  at  the  scene  of  the  late  tragedy.  On 
approaching  Starved  Rock  they  noticed  a  cloud  of 
buzzards  hovering  over  it,  and  at  the  same  time  were 
greeted  with  a  sickening  odor.  On  landing  from 
their  canoes  and  ascending  the  rock  they  found  the 
steep,  rugged  pathway  leading  thereto  stained  with 


164  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

blood,  and  among  the  stunted  cedars  that  grew  on 
the  cliff  were  a  number  of  human  bodies  partly  de- 
voured by  birds  of  prey.  But  on  reaching  the  sum- 
mit they  were  horrified  to  find  it  covered  with  dead 
bodies,  all  in  an  advanced  state  of  decomposition. 
Here  was  the  aged  chief  with  silver  locks,  lying  by 
the  side  of  young  warriors  whose  long  raven  hair 
partly  concealed  their  ghastly  and  distorted  features. 
Here,  too,  were  squaws  and  papooses,  the  aged  grand- 
mother, and  the  young  maiden,  with  here  and  there 
an  infant  still  clasped  in  its  mother's  arms.  Some 
had  died  from  thirst  and  starvation,  others  by  the 
tomahawk  or  war  club  ;  of  the  latter  their  remains 
were  partly  enveloped  in  a  pool  of  clotted  blood.  All 
the  dead,  without  regard  to  age  or  sex,  had  been 
scalped,  and  the  remains  divested  of  clothing. 

The  swollen  and  distorted  remains  of  the  slain 
were  hideous  to  look  upon,  and  the  stench  from  them 
so  offensive  that  the  traders  hastened  down  from  the 
rock,  and  continued  on  their  way  down  the  river. 

On  reaching  La  Vantum,  a  short  distance  below 
Starved  Rock,  the  traders  met  with  a  still  greater 
surprise,  and  for  a  time  were  almost  ready  to  believe 
what  they  saw  was  delusion  instead  of  reality.  The 
great  town  of  the  west  had  disappeared  ;  not  a  lodge, 
camping-tent,  or  one  human  being,  could  be  seen. 
All  was  desolate,  silent  and  lonely.  The  ground 


A    GHASTLY    SPECTACLE.  165 

where  the  -town  had  stood  was  strewn  with  dead 
bodies,  and  packs  of  hungry  wolves  were  feeding 
upon  their  hideous  repast. 

Five  months  before  these  traders  while  on  their 
way  to  Canada  stopped  at  La  Vantum,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  trading  with  the  Indians.  At  that  time  the 
inhabitants,  about  five  thousand  in  number,  were  in 
full  enjoyment  of  life,  but  now  their  dead  bodies  lay 
mouldering  on  the  ground,  food  for  wolves  and  birds 
of  prey.  The  traders  had  bought  of  these  people 
two  canoe  loads  of  furs  and  pelts,  which  were  to  be 
paid  for  in  goods  on  their  return  from  Canada.  The 
goods  were  now  here  to  make  payment  according  to 
contract,  but  alas,  the  creditors  had  all  gone  to  their 
long  home. 

The  smell  from  hundreds  of  putrefied  remains  waa 
so  offensive  that  the  traders  remained  .only  a  short 
time,  and  with  sadness  they  turned  away  from  this 
scene  of  horror.  The  traders  again  boarding  their 
canoes  passed  down  the  river  to  Peoria,  conveying 
thither  to  their  friends  the  sad  tidings. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

RELICS  OF  THE  TRAGEDY. 

, 

IN  the  following  spring,  after  the  Illinois  Indi- 
ans were  annihilated,  a  party  of  traders  from 
Cahokia  on  their  way  to  Canada,  in  canoes  loaded 
with  furs,  stopped  at  Peoria.  On  reaching  this  point 
they  heard  of  the  destruction  of  the  Indians  on 
Starved  Rock,  and  were  afraid  to  proceed  further  on 
their  journey.  After  remaining  a  few  days  at  Peoria 
they  proceeded  on  their  way,  accompanied  as  far  as 
Starved  Rock  by  twenty-one  Frenchmen  and  a  num- 
ber of  Indians.  With  this  escort  was  Father  Buche, 
a  Jesuit  priest  of  Peoria,  and  an  account  of  his  ob- 
servations are  preserved  in  his  manuscript* 

"When  the  voyageurs  arrived  at  La  Vantum  they 
found  the  town  site  strewed  with  human  bones,  and 
fragments  of  broken  pottery,  and  a  few  charred  poles 
alone  marked  the  location  of  the  great  town  of  the 
west.  Scattered  over  the  prairie  were  hundreds  of 
skulls,  some  of  which  still  retained  a  portion  of  flesh, 
and  partly  covered  with  long  black  hair,  giving  to 

*An  account  of  this  manuscript  will  be  found  in  the  succeeding  chapter, 
and  from  which  many  extracts  have  been  taken. 

166 


RELICS    OF   THE   TEAGEDY.  167 

the  remain's  a  ghastly  and  sickening  appearance. 
This  party  also  ascended  Starved  Rock,  and  found 
its  summit  covered  with  bones  and  skulls,  among 
masses  of  putrefied  flesh.  Here  among  the  remains 
of  the  dead  were  found  knives,  tomahawks,  rings, 
beads,  and  various  trinkets,  some  of  which  the  trav- 
elers carried  with  them  to  Canada,  and  can  now  be 
seen  among  the  antiquarian  collection  in  Quebec. 

Various  accounts  are  given  in  after  years  both  by 
French  and  Indians  of  seeing  relics  of  this  fearful 
tragedy  on  the  summit  of  Starved  Rock.  Pierre 
Bulbona,  an  Indian  trader  known  by  many  of  the 
early  settlers,  said  when  a  small  boy  he  accom- 
panied his  father  in  ascending  Starved  Rock,  and 
saw  many  relics  of  the  slaughtered  Indians.  This 
was  only  fifteen  years  after  the  massacre,  and  the 
rock  was  covered  with  skulls  and  bones,  all  in  a 
good  state  of  preservation,  but  bleached  white  by  the 
sun  and  rain.  Persons  are  still  living  among  the 
French  fur  traders  who  have  seen  these  bones  on 
the  summit  of  Starved  Rock,  and  at  the  present  time 
small  fragments  of  human  remains  are  occasionally 
found.  On  my  first  visit  to  Starved  Rock,  forty- 
five  years  ago,  I  found  a  number  of  human  teeth, 
and  small  fragments  of  bones.  Some  years  ago  a 
human  skull  was  found  at  the  root  of  a  tree,  buried 
up  with  leaves  and  dirt,  also  a  tomahawk  and  a  large 


168  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS.      . 

scalping  knife.  At  different  times  visitors  have 
found  relics  of  the  past,  consisting  of  weapons  of 
war  and  trinkets  of  various  kinds,  and  still  retain 
them  as  trophies  of  the  past. 

Whoever  will  take  the  trouble  to  examine  the 
soil  on  Starved  Rock  will  find  in  many  places  a  pecu- 
liar dusty  sediment  among  the  dirt,  showing  decom- 
posed animal  matter,  which,  without  doubt,  is  the 
remains  of  human  beings.  I  have  visited  the  cata- 
combs belonging  to  different  Italian  cities,  also  those 
around  Jerusalem,  and  walked  over  the  dust  made 
frbm  the  remains  of  human  beings,  and  find  the 
sediment  among  the  dirt  on  Starved  Rock  to  be  of 
the  same  kind. 

SEARCHING  FOR  GOLD. 

When  the  Governor  of  Canada  took  possession 
of  Fort  St.  Louis  all  the  goods,  furs,  etc.,  belonging 
to  the  traders  were  confiscated  to  the  government, 
and  report  says  divided  between  thp  governor  and 
friends.  Tonti  having  in  his  possession  at  that  time 
a  large  sum  of  gold  dug  a  pit  hole  within  the  stock- 
ades and  buried  it,  to  prevent  its  falling  into  the 
hands  of  his  enemies.  Sixteen  years  afterward,  as 
Tonti  was  about  to  die,  he  told  a  priest,  who  was 
holding  a  gold  cross  before  his  face,  about  the  gold 
being  buried  within  the  fort.  The  priest  kept  this 


SEARCHING    FOR    GOLD.  169 

matter  a  secret,  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  resur- 
rect the  gold,  but  was  drowned  soon  after  by  the 
upsetting  of  a  canoe.  A  short  time  after  the  death 
of  the  priest  the  fort  was  burned  by  the  Indians,  and 
the  French  driven  away,  as  previously  stated. 

In  the  summer  of  1765,  forty-seven  years  after 
the  burning  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  a  party  of  French  at 
Peoria,  among  whom  were  Captain  M.  De  Fond  and 
Father  Buche,  believing  the  story  about  gold  being 
buried  in  the  fort  came  up  the  river  in  search  of  it. 
This  party  of  gold  hunters  encamped  at  the  base  of 
Starved  Rock,  and  spent  some  days  in  digging  holes 
on  its  summit,  which  accounts  for  the  many  pit  holes 
now  to  be  seen.  No  gold  was  found  by  these  ad- 
venturers, but  in  a  vault  near  where  the  store-house 
stood  they  found  a  large  number  of  tomahawks, 
guns,  knives,  beads,  and  various  kinds  of  trinkets, 
intended  for  the  Indian  trade. 

An  account  of  -searching  for  gold  on  the  summit 
of  Starved  Rock  is  given  in  Father  Buche's  manu- 
script, in  which  he  says:  "  We  had  spent  five  days 
in  digging  holes  on  the  top  of  Le  Rocher,  and  found 
a  large  quantity  of  articles  which  were  intended  for 
the  Indian  trade,  but  of  the  precious  metal,  the  object 
of  our  search,  we  found  none.  On  the  last  day  of 
our  stay  we  dug  a  large  hole  close  to  the  old  earth- 
works, and  continued  at  work  until  it  was  quite  dark, 


170  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

when  the  devil  appeared  to  us  in  the  form  of  a  huge 
bear.  On  seeing  this  monster  we  dropped  our  tools, 
and  hurried  down  from  Le  Rocher,  put  our  camp  kit 
in  a  canoe,  and  started  down  the  river  for  home." 

In  the  summer  of  1805  a  party  of  adventurers 
at  Kaskaskia  learning  from  tradition  that  a  large 
amount  of  gold  had  been  buried  within  the  stock- 
ades of  Fort  St.  Louis  went  in  search  of  it.  At  that 
time  the  location  of  the  old  fort  was  unknown;  his- 
tory and  tradition  alike  failed  to  point  it  out,  but 
they  knew  it  was  on  a  high  rock  washed  by  the  rapid 
current  of  the  Illinois,  and  a  short  distance  above 
the  great  bend  in  the  river.  On  Buffalo  Rock  they 
found  what  they  believed  to  be  the  relics  of  Fort  St. 
Louis,  and  here  they  spent  many  days  in  searching 
for  the  hidden  treasures,  but  finding  none  they  re- 
turned home.  An  account  of  this  expedition  was 
published  in  the  newspapers  of  that  day,  which  de- 
scribe the  remains  of  the  fort  on  a  large  rock  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river,  and  from  that  time  it  was 
believed  that  Fort  St.  Louis  had  been  built  on  Buf- 
falo Rock. 

The  story  of  gold  having  been  buried  within  the 
stockades  of  Fort  St.  Louis  is  also  among  the  In- 
dian traditions,  and  some  years  ago  a  party  of  Pot- 
tawatomies  came  from  Kansas  in  search  of  it.  Peo- 
ple in  the  vicinity  told  them  that  the  fort  had  stood 


FOET    ST.  LOUIS.  171 

on  Buffalo  Rock,  and  on  its  summit  they  dug  many 
pit  holes,  but  finding  none  of  the  precious  metal  they 
returned  to  their  homes  in  the  west. 

FORT  ST.  LOUIS,  ROCK  FORT,  AND  LE  ROCHER. 

In  former  times  people  of  the  west  generally  be- 
lieved that  Fort  St.  Louis  was  built  on  Buffalo  Rock, 
as  relics  of  an  ancient  fortification  were  found  here 
in  the  early  settlement  of  the  country.  But  in  com- 
paring the  various  historical  accounts,  as  well  as 
French  and  Indian  traditions,  it  is  shown  conclusively 
to  have  stood  on  Starved  Rock,  and  here  its  remains 
can  still  be  seen.  Buffalo  Rock  does  not  answer  the 
description  of  the  place  spoken  of  in  history,  and  the 
natural  advantages  between  it  and  Starved  Rock  for 
a  fort  could  not  escape  the  observation  of  a  man 
with  La  Salle's  shrewdness.  Buffalo  Rock  contains 
on  its  summit  several  hundred  acres,  is  only  about 
sixty  feet  high,  whereas  Starved  Rock  is  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-six  feet  high,  containing  less  than 
one  acre  on  its  summit,  and  accessible  only  at  one 
place.  Thus  it  is  a  natural  fortress,  where  but  little 
labor  would  be  required  to  make  it  impregnable,  so 
a  few  soldiers  could  hold  it  against  all  the  savages 
of  the  west.  Fort  St.  Louis,  Rock  Fort  and  Le 
Rocher,  so  often  referred  to  in  history,  are  without 
doubt  all  one  and  the  same  place. 


172  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

South  of  Starved  Rock,  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  distant,  is  a  high  knoll,  isolated  from  the 
neighboring  bluff,  covered  with  scattering  trees,  and 
known  in  early  times  as  Devil's  Nose.* 

Eastward  across  a  chasm  two  hundred  yards  wide 
is  a  rocky  cliff  as  high  as  Starved  Rock  and  covered 
with  stunted  evergreens.  This  cliff  rises  almost 
perpendicular  from  the  water's  edge,  connects  with 
the  main  bluff,  and  from  an  old  Indian  legend  is 
called  Maiden's  Leap.f 

These  two  cliffs  are  within  gun-shot  of  the  fort, 
therefore  it  became  necessary  to  protect  the  side  of 
the  rock  next  to  them  with  earth- works  and  palisade. 

A  more  romantic  place  for  building  a  fort  could 
not  be  found  in  the  western  country,  and  for  natural 
defenses  or  picturesque  appearance  it  is  without  a 
parallel  in  history.  The  many  remarkable  events 
connected  with  this  old  relic  of  antiquity  if  given  to 
the  world  would  rival  the  works  of  fiction,  surpass- 
ing even  the  wild  romance  of  feudal  times. 

The  river  at  this  point  assumes  a  different  char- 
acter, no  longer  a  dull,  sluggish  stream,  but  is  wide, 
shallow  and  rapid,  and  its  broad  channel  divided  by 

*  For  many  years  after  the  Starved  Rock  tragedy  a  superstitious  notion 
prevailed  among  the  Indians,  who  believed  that  an  evil  spirit  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  this  eminence,  and  every  night  when  the  winds  blew  and  rain  fell  he 
could  be  heard  blowing  his  nose. 

t  It  is  said  a  young  and  beautiful  Indian  maiden,  a  daughter  of  a  noted 
chief,  having  been  crossed  in  love  jumped  off  this  cliff,  and  her  mangled  body 
was  found  in  the  ravine  below  some  days  afterward. 


RELICS    OF    FORT    ST.  LOUIS.  173 

many  beautiful  wood-clad  islands.  Some  of  these 
islands  are  now  under  cultivation,  while  others  are 
covered  with  forest  trees,  the  tall  cottonwood  and 
outspreading  elms  adding  beauty  and  romance  to  the 
surrounding  scenery. 

These  islands  in  the  river,  with  the  land  on  which 
Starved  Rock  stands,  belong  to  Colonel  D.  F.  Hitt, 
of  Ottawa,  who  entered  it  nearly  half  a  century  ago. 

4 

RELICS  OF  FORT  ST.  LOUIS. 

In  the  summer  of  1721,  thirty-nine  years  after 
Fort  St.  Louis  was  built,  Charlevoix,  a  French  Jesuit 
priest,  visited  Illinois,  and  in  his  journal  gave  some 
account  of  the  scenery  along  the  river.  On  Buf- 
falo Rock  he  found  an  Indian  village  surrounded  by 
a  rude  fortification,  consisting  of  low  earth-works 
with  stockades,  and  known  as  Le  Fort  des  Miamis. 
About  one  league  below  Buffalo  Rock,  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river,  is  Le  Rocher,  rising  from  the 
water's  edge  like  a  castle  wall,  to  the  height  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  can  be  ascended  only  at 
one  point.  On  this  rock,  says  Charlevoix,  La  Salle 
built  a  fort,  and  part  of  the  palisade  was  still  stand- 
ing. The  block-house,  store-house  and  dwellings 
had  been  burned  by  the  Indians,  and  everything 
about  the  fort  was  in  ruins,  although  it  had  been  oc- 
cupied by  his  countrymen  only  three  years  before. 


174  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

The  remains  of  earth-works  can  still  be  seen,  en- 
circling about  two-thirds  of  the  rock,  and  following 
around  it  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice.  These 
works  commence  on  the  western  angle,  following 
the  margin  of  the  rock  to  the  extreme  eastern  curve^ 
leaving  an  open  gateway  at  the  place  of  ascending 
the  rock,  and  are  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  yards 
in  length.  On  the  south  side  of  the  rock,  along 
these  earth-works,  are  many  pit  holes,  two  of  which 
are  very  large,  and  in  all  probability  one  of  these 
was  the  magazine,  and  the  other  a  cellar  of  a  store- 
house. The  smaller  pit  holes  which  are  found  here 
and  there  among  the  evergreens,  according  to 
Buche's  manuscript,  were  dug  forty-seven  years  after 
the  destruction  of  the  fort,  by  persons  while  search- 
ing for  gold. 

INDIAN  AND  FRENCH  RELICS. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Starved  Rock,  and  near  the  site 
of  the  old  Indian  village,  many  relics  have  been 
found,  consisting  of  gun  flints,  arrow-heads,  etc. 
Earthen  pots,  kettles,  and  various  kinds  of  pottery, 
have  been  found,  also  tomahawks,  axes,  knives,  hoes, 
with  various  kinds  of  farming  and  war  implements 
made  of  stone.  Burton  Ayres,  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  La  Salle,  collected  many  curious  relics  of  Indian 
antiquities,  among  which  was  an  image  in  the  form 
of  a  man  cut  out  of  limestone,  and  supposed  to  have 


INDIAN    AND    FRENCH    RELICS.  175 

been  an  idol  of  heathen  worship.  On  the  site  of  La- 
Vantuin  many  curious  relics  have  been  found,  and 
every  year  in  plowing  the  ground  new  trinkets  are 
discovered.  People  living  in  that  locality  have  col- 
lected a  large  amount  of  Indian  relics,  some  of  which 
have  been  placed  in  the  Ottawa  Academy  of  Natural 
Science  for  preservation. 

On  and  around  Starved  Rock  many  relics  of  the 
early  French  occupants  have  also  been  found,  con- 
sisting of  farming  implements  of  European  manufac- 
ture, rifle  and  cannon  balls,  gold  and  silver  crosses, 
with  various  trinkets  of  more  or  less  value.  A  few 
years  ago  a  small  cannon  was  found  imbedded  in  the 
river  bank,  where  it  had  lain  perhaps  for  nearly  two 
centuries.  This  cannon  is  made  of  wrought  iron, 
hooped  with  heavy  rings  to  make  it  strong  like  those 
used  in  Europe  centuries  ago.  This  ancient  piece  of 
ordnance  in  all  probability  was  brought  from  Canada 
by.  La  Salle  or  some  of  his  men  to  be  used  on  a  forti- 
fication, and  may  have  been  the  one  mounted  on  the 
ramparts  of  Fort  St.  Louis  at  the  time  of  its  dedica- 
tion, and  fired  a  salute  in  honor  of  the  King  of 
France. 

A  short  time  ago  an  old  cedar  tree  was  cut  down 
on  the  summit  of  Starved  Rock,  and  within  its  trunk 
was  found  imbedded  a  gun  barrel  partly  destroyed  by 
rust.  How  this  gun  barrel  came  here  will  forever 


176  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

remain  a  mystery,  but  in  all  probability  it  was  the 
work  of  an  ingenious  Frenchman,  during  the  occupa- 
tion of  Fort  St.  Louis.  This  gun  barrel,  with  a  por-^ 
tion  of  the  tree  which  surrounded  it,  also  the  old 
cannon  found  in  the  river  bank,  with  many  other 
curiosities,  are  preserved  among  the  collection  of 
relics  at  Ottawa  Museum  of  Natural  Science. 

A  short  time  ago  David  "Walker,  of  Ottawa,  found 
near  Buffalo  Rock  a  piece  of  copper  about  the  size 
and  shape  of  a  half  dollar,  on  which  was  engraved 
in  rude  characters  the  name  of  Tonti.  It  is  quite 
probable  this  trinket  is  one  among  the  many  medals 
which  the  commander  of  Fort  St.  Louis  distributed 
among  his  Indian  friends  as  a  token  of  remem- 
brance. 

On  Starved  Rock  were  found  two  bronze  medal- 
lion heads  of  noted  persons  of  those  days,  one  of 
King  Louis  XIY  and  the  other  of  Pope  Leo  X. 

Colonel  D.  F.  Hitt,  of  Ottawa,  has  now  in  his 
possession  a  double  cross  made  of  pure  gold,  three 
inches  in  length,  but  without  name  or  date.  This 
cross  is  said  to  be  an  insignia  of  an  Archbishop,  and 
was  probably  lost  by  one  of  the  holy  fathers  who 
frequented  Fort  St.  Louis. 

This  cross  was  found  seven  years  ago,  about  two 
hundred  feet  west  of  Starved  Rock,  and  an  account 
of  its  size  and  engraving  has  attracted  much  atten- 


INDIAN    AND    FRENCH    RELICS.  177 

tion.  On  one  side  of  this  emblem  are  four  hearts 
and  four  open  links,  with  a  human  figure  represent- 
ing Christ  nailed  to  the  cross.  On  the  opposite  side 
are  six  hearts  and  four  links,  with  an  image  of  the 
Virgin  Mary  holding  the  infant  Christ  in  her  arms. 
The  figures  and  images  on  this  cross  are  well  en- 
graved, being  of  the  same  style  of  work  as  those 
ancient  Christian  emblems  now  on  exhibition  in  the 
Vatican,  at  Koine. 

It  has  been  a  matter  of  much  speculation  how  a 
cross  representing  this  high  order  in  the  Catholic 
church  came  to  Fort  St.  Louis,  as  no  one  higher  than 
a  priest  had  officiated  as  chaplain  during  thirty-six 
years  of  its  occupation.  There  is  an  incident  con- 
nected with  the  fort  which  may  throw  some  light  on 
it,  and  were  all  the  facts  known  might  possibly  ex- 
plain this  mystery.  The  Archbishop  of  Rouen 
sent  to  Canada  a  fine  satin  robe,  a  large  gold  cross, 
with  other  sacred  emblems,  to  be  presented  to  the 
most  devoted  priest  in  North  America.  The  priests 
at  Quebec  awarded  these  gifts  to  Father  Chrisp, 
chaplain  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  but  he  died  before  their 
arrival,  and  in  the  fall  of  1688  these  things  were  pre- 
sented to  Father  Gaudier,  brother  of  La  Salle.  It  is 
possible  that  the  cross  found  here  may  be  the  one 
referred  to,  and  lost  by  the  owner  during  his'  ram- 
bles around  the  fort. 
12 


178  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Colonel  Hitt  has  two  other  crosses  which  were 
found  in  the  vicinity  of  Starved  Rock,  but  they  are 
of  the  kind  usually  worn  by  priests  and  monks,  and 
do  not  differ  materially  from  those  found  elsewhere. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Starved  Rock  are  found  many 
under-ground  furnaces  consisting  of  a  large  flue 
built  of  stone  and  mortar.  The  French  in  those 
days  were  in  the  habit  of  building  flues  under  their 
dwellings  to  warm  them,  and  this,  manner  of  warm- 
ing a  house  is  still  in  use  in  some  parts  of  Canada. 

FATHER  BUCHE'S  MANUSCRIPT. 

This  old  manuscript,  now  in  the  hands  of  Hypolite 
Pilette,  consists  of  twenty-three  pages  closely  written 
on  large  sheets,  and  from  age  the  paper  is  yellow 
and  ink  faded.  It  is  in  the  French  language,  dated 
at  La  Yille  de  Maillet  (now  Peoria),  April  1770,  and 
was  written  by  Jacques  Buche,  a  Jesuit  priest.  The 
writer  speaks  only  of  things  that  came  under  his  own 
observation,  and  relates  a  number  of  remarkable  in- 
cidents, which  are  worth  preserving.  The  manu- 
script speaks  of  the  destruction  of  La  Vantum,  the 
perishing  of  the  remnant  of  the  Illinois  Indians  on 
Starved  Rock,  and  from  its  pages  are  taken  a  num- 
ber of  incidents  narrated  in  this  book.  It  also  gives 
an  account  of  digging  for  gold  within  the  stockades 
of  Fort  St.  Louis,  the  pit  holes  of  which  can  still  be 
seen. 


FATHER    SUCRE'S    MANUSCRIPT.  179 

Father  Buche  speaks  of  visiting  an  Indian  village 
fifteen  leagues  north  of  La  Yille  de  Maillet,  where  lie 
remained  many  days  teaching  the  people  the  ways  of 
Christianity.  The  inhabitants  of  this  village  said  he 
was  possessed  of  the  devil,  indulging  in  vile  prac- 
tices, and  idolatrous  worship.  The  chiefs  had  many 
wives,  and  put  them  to  death  if  they  proved  barren 
At  their  religious  feast  an  infant  was  burned  on  the 
altar  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  Great  Manitou,  in  order 
that  the  band  might  be  successful  in  war  hunting, 
etc.,  and  be  protected  from  the  power  of  the  evil 
one. 

Father  Buche  said  he  preached  many  times  to 
these  benighted  people,  and  many  of  them  were  con- 
verted, their  names  enrolled  in  the  church  book,  and 
their  souls  saved  from  perdition.  He  also  speaks  of 
accompanying  a  large  party  of  hunters  in  slaughter- 
ing buffalo,  having  been  run  over  by  the  herd,  and 
trampled  under  the  feet  of  the  beasts,  but  saved  from 
death  by  the  interposition  of  the  Holy  Virgin. 


T 


CHAPTER  XV. 

OLD  FORT  CHARTRES. 

HIS  old  landmark  of  former  times  was  located 
near  the  Mississippi  River,  and  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  Randolph  county.  The  fort  was  built 
by  the  Louisiana  company  in  1719,  and  continued  to 
be  the  seat  of  government  as  long  as  the  French 
were  in  possession  of  Illinois.  It  stood  about  one- 
half  mile  from  the  river,  but  connected  with  it  by  a 
slough  or  bayou,  through  which  boats  passed  to  and 
from  the  fort.  It  was  originally  a  wooden  structure, 
but  in  1756  a  stone  one  with  high  thick  walls,  con- 
taining towers  and  bastions,  took  its  place.  The 
walls  enclosed  about  four  acres  of  ground,  and  within 
this  arena  were  many  large  buildings  for  officers  and 
soldiers'  quarters.  This  fort  was  built  of  faced 
blocks  of  limestone,  brought  from  a  cliff  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  river,  three  miles  above,  and  the 
structure  is  said  to  have  made  a  very  fine  appear- 
ance. 

Fort  Chartres  at  the  time  of  its  construction  was 
considered  the  most  imposing  fortification  in  North 
America,  and  over  its  battlements  waved  both  the 

180 


OLD    FORT   CHARTRES.  181 

French  and  British  flags.  A  village  of  about  forty 
houses,  called  St.  Anne  de  Fort  Chartres,  sprang  up 
around  the  fort,  and  here  was  not  only  the  seat  of 
government  for  Illinois,  but  it  became  the  center  of 
wealth,  business,  fashion  and  gayety. 

During  the  great  flood  of  1772  a  portion  of  the 
wall,  about  one  hundred  feet  in  length,  was  under- 
mined and  fell  into  the  river.  In  consequence  of 
this  breach  in  the  walls  Fort  Chartres  was  aban- 
doned and  went  to  ruin,  the  seat  of  government 
moved  to  Kaskaskia,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  vil- 
lage of  St  Anne  left  for  other  places.  A  small  por- 
tion of  the  walls  is  still  standing,  and  the  magazine 
remains  whole,  excepting  that  a  part  of  the  main 
arch  has  given  way  and  the  great  iron  door  is 
gone.  The  foundation  and  part  of  the  walls  of  two 
buildings  are  standing,  with  forest  trees  growing 
within  the  enclosure.  Most  of  the  large  hewed  stones 
of  which  the  main  walls  were  constructed  have  been 
taken  away  to  build  up  towns  along  the  river,  and 
the  massive  stone  arches  that  encircled  the  door  and 
gateways  now  ornament  public  buildings  elsewhere. 

These  grand  old  ruins  are  now  in  the  midst  of  a 
forest,  with  trees  more  than  three  feet  in  diameter 
standing  within  their  walls  ;  and  were  the  origin  of 
these  relics  of  former  times  unknown,  it  might  fur- 
nish a  theme  for  antiquarian  speculation. 


182  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

In  1788  Congress  reserved  a  tract  of  land  one 
mile  square  around  Fort  Chartres,  and  this  reserva- 
tion came  into  market  in  1849,  and  sold  the  same  as 
other  government  lands. 

FORT  MASSAC. 

This  old  landmark  of  early  times  was  located  on 
the  north  bank  of  the  Ohio,  then  called  Ouabaclie 
Kiver  by  the  French,  thirty-six  miles  from  its  month. 
The  time  of  its  construction  is  mixed  with  uncer- 
tainty; both  history  and  tradition  are  alike  defective 
on  this  point,  but  it  is  generally  believed  to  have 
been  built  about  the  year  1711.  This  fort  was  built 
by  early  French  explorers,  who  came  from  the  lakes 
by  way  of  Maumee  and  Wabash  rivers,  and  had  no 
connection  with  the  colonies  on  the  Mississippi. 

A  short  time  after  the  French  built  this  fort  it 
was  captured  by  the  Indians  through  a  curious  piece 
of  strategy.  One  day  a  number  of  Indians  appeared 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  each  covered  with  a 
bear  skin,  walking  on  all-fours,  and  imitating  the 
motion  of  that  animal.  The  soldiers  mistook  these 
Indians  for  bears,  and  many  of  them  crossed  the 
river  in  pursuit,  while  others  left  their  quarters  to 
see  the  sport.  In  the  meantime  a  large  body  of 
warriors,  who  were  secreted  in  the  woods  near  by, 
took  possession  of  the  fort  without  opposition,  and 
but  few  of  the  soldiers  escaped  massacre. 


FORT    MASSAC.  183 

Some  years  after  this  tragical  affair  a  new  fort 
was  built  on  the  same  site,  and  called  Massac  in 
memory  of  this  sad  event.  This  fort  was  abandoned 
by  the  French  about  the  year  1750,  but  after  the 
close  of  the  revolutionary  war  the  Americans  had  a 
garrison  here  for  a  short  time. 

Forty  miles  above  Fort  Massac,  on  the  river  bank, 
now  in  Hardin  county,  is  a  place  of  much  note  called 
Cave  in  the  Rock,  consisting  of  a  large,  romantic- 
looking  cavern  at  the  base  of  a  rocky  cliff.  For 
several  years  this  cave  was  occupied  by  a  band  of 
robbers  headed  by  one  Mason.  These  robbers  way- 
laid boats  going  to  and  from  New  Orleans,  murder 
ing  the  crew  and  confiscating  the  cargo.  In  1797 
this  band  of  outlaws  was  broken  up,  some  of  them 
captured  and  executed,  while  others  fled  the  country 
to  escape  punishment. 

AMERICAN  BOTTOM. 

This  section  of  country,  so  ofttimes  referred  to  by 
the  early  western  historian,  lies  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Mississippi,  extending  from  Alton  to  the  mouth 
.of  Kaskaskia  River,  a  distance  of  about  seventy 
miles  in  length,  and  from  three  to  eight  miles  in 
width.  This  tract  of  land  consists  of  timber  and 
prairie  about  equally  divided,  and  much  of  it  subject 
to  inundation,  but  for  fertility  of  soil  it  probably  is 


184  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

unequaled  in  the  western  country.  During  the  first 
century  of  the  French  occupation  of  Illinois  the  only 
permanent  settlement  (except  Peoria)was  made  on 
this  bottom,  and  here  the  descendants  of  the  early 
pioneers  continue  to  live.  The  old  towns  on  this 
bottom  still  remain  French  in  language,  customs  and 
habits,  and  the  people  have  but  little  intercourse  with 
those  speaking  the  English  language. 

The  name  American  Bottom  had  its  origin  about 
a  century  ago,  at  the  time  Illinois  came  under  United 
States  jurisdiction,  and  from  the  following  circum- 
stance: the  west  side  of  the  river  being  known  as 
Louisiana,  or  New  Spain,  while  on  the  east,  in  the 
river  bottom,  was  called  America  —  hence  American 
Bottom,  which  name  it  continues  to  bear. 

In  the  early  settlement  of  the  country  the  valley 
of  the  Mississippi  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the 
lakes  was  known  as  Louisiana,  designated  as  upper 
and  lower  country.  In  after  years  the  settlements 
on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi  were  known  as  the 
Illinois  country,  and  the  same  laws  were  in  force,  it 
being  one  country.  After  the  west  side  was  ceded 
to  Spain  it  became  known  as  Louisiana,  and  the  terri- 
tory assumed  the  name  of  Missouri  about  the  year 
1810,  five  years  after  it  was  ceded  to  the  United 
States. 


PRAIRIE    DU    ROCHER.  185 

PRAIRIE  DU  ROCHER. 

The  old  French  village  of  Prairie  du  Rocher  is 
located  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  three  miles  from  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  in  the  northwest  corner  of 
Randolph  county.  There  is  a  rocky  cliff,  thirty 
miles  long  and  about  two  liundred  feet  high,  bound- 
ing a  fertile  bottom,  which  gives  to  the  place  a 
romantic  and  picturesque  appearance.  Its  secluded 
situation,  fine  scenery,  rich  soil  and  large  spring  of 
gushing  water  attracted  the  attention  of  early  pio- 
neers, and  caused  it  to  become  a  place  of  importance. 
A  short  distance  above  the  town,  at  the  base  of  a 
rocky  cliff,  is  a  large  spring,  sending  forth  an  im- 
mense volume  of  water,  whose  crystal  purity  might 
have  been  taken  for  the  fountain  of  life,  which  gave 
immortality  to  youth  and  vigor,  so  much  sought  after 
by  the  early  Spanish  explorers.  Near  this  spring  is 
a  remarkable  cave  in  the  high  rocky  cliff,  but  it  has 
never  been  explored  to  any  great  extent,  as  its  cham- 
bers are  filled  with  foul  air,  which  is  thought  to  be 
destructive  to  life. 

According  to  Jesuit  history  Prairie  du  Rocher  was 
incorporated  into  a  village  in  the  year  1722,  and  a 
large  tract  of  land  granted  to  its  citizens,  with  an 
additional  tract  bounding  the  Mississippi  River  for  a 
number  of  miles  for  school  purposes. 

The  old  Jesuit  chapel  of  St.  Joseph,  built  in  1734, 


186  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

is  still  standing,  and  is  probably  the  oldest  building 
on  the  American  Bottom.  Within  its  portals  have 
been  christened  the  infants  of  four  succeeding  gen- 
erations, and  the  marriage  vows  of  the  people  of 
Prairie  du  Rocher  have  been  heard  at  its  sacred  altar 
for  a  century  and  a  half.  The  register  of  the  chapel, 
commencing  in  1734,  containing  a  record  of  births, 
marriages,  deaths,  etc.,  was  taken  to  Kaskaskia  in 
1855  for  the  purpose  of  being  copied,  and,  unfortu- 
nately, was  lost. 

CAHOKIA. 

When  La  Salle  and  his  comrades  returned  from 
an  excursion  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  River 
in  the  summer  of  1682  they  stopped  some  days  at 
Cahokia,  which  at  that  time  was  a  large  Indian  vil- 
lage. Two  Jesuit  priests,  Pinet  and  Garvier,  who 
accompanied  the  expedition,  remained  here  for  the 
purpose  of  converting  the  natives.  These  priests 
built  a  chapel  in  the  midst  of  the'  village,  dedicating 
it  to  St.  Peter,  and  named  the  mission  Notre  Dame 
des  Cahokia.  In  the  following  year  La  Salle  au- 
thorized Richard  Bosley  to  establish  a  trading-post 
here,  and  with  the  traders  came  many  emigrants 
from  Canada,  forming  the  first  permanent  settlement 
in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  The  emigrants  built 
houses  in  the  town  with  the  Indians,  and  for  more 
than  a  century  they  lived  together  in  peace  and  har- 


KASKASKIA.  187 

mony  as  one  people.  Marriage  between  the  French 
and  Indians  being  legalized  by  the  Catholic  church 
many  of  the  fur  traders  and  earl/  explorers  of  the 
west  found  wives  among  the  blooming  daughters  of 
Illinois.  Some  of  the  present  inhabitants  of  Caho- 
kia  can  trace  their  genealogy*  back  to  the  time  of 
La  Salle,  and,  their  ancestors  having  intermarried 
with  natives,  show  strong  marks  of  Indian  lineage. 

The  location  of  Cahokia  is  unfavorable  for  com- 
merce, being  situated  on  Cahokia  Creek,  a  mile  and 
a  half  from  the  Mississippi,  but  still  not  out  of  the 
reach  of  its  floods.  In  early  times  the  water  in  the 
creek  was  sufficient  to  float  their  small  crafts,  but  a 
Frenchman  in  seeking  revenge  cut  a  channel  from 
the  creek  into  the  river,  three  miles  above  the  town, 
leaving  it  without  water  communication  except  in 
time  of  floods.  Along  Cahokia  Creek  are  a  number 
of  small  lakes,  and  no  less  than  sixty-seven  mounds 
of  various  sizes  and  shapes. 

Cahokia  at  the  present  time  is  only  a  small  town, 
the  houses  standing  here  and  there  among  gardens 
and  shade  trees,  the  inhabitants  mostly  engaged  in 
farming,  and  but  few  of  them  can  speak  or  under- 
stand English. 

KASKASKIA. 

According  to  the  most  reliable  traditionary  ac- 
counts Father  Allouez  established  a  mission  at  Kas- 


188  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

kaskia  in  1686,  and  built  a  chapel  in  the  Indian  vil- 
lage. He  gave  this  mission  the  sacred  name  of  Im- 
maculate Conception  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  and  its 
register  from  1695  is  still  preserved  among  the 
church  papers  of  the  parish.  Emigrants  from  Can- 
ada, with  fur  traders,  came  to  Kaskaskia,  and  in  a  few 
years  it  became  a  place  of  great  importance.  The 
congregation  continued  to  occupy  the  Jesuit  chapel 
until  1721,  when  a  permanent  church  was  built,  and 
occupied  as  a  place  of  worship  for  nearly  a  century. 
The  bell  now  hanging  on  the  large  brick  church  was 
brought  from  France  and  placed  on  this  building, 
being  the  first  to  ring  for  public  worship  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley.  Its  measured  strokes  have 
tolled  for  marriages  and  funerals  of  three  successive 
generations,  and  still  the  bluff  and  tall  timber  around 
the  old  town  continues  to  echo  its  musical  peals. 

In  1736  a  fort  was  built  at  Kaskaskia,  but  never 
occupied  by  troops,  and  burned  down  after  standing 
thirty-six  years.  When  Fort  Chartres  was  aban- 
doned, in  1772,  the  government  built  a  new  one  here 
called  Fort  Gage,  in  honor  of  the  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  British  forces  in  America,  and  the  relics 
of  this  fort  can  still  be  seen  on  the  bluff  near  the 
river. 

After  Clark's  conquest  of  Illinois,  American  emi- 
grants came  to  Kaskaskia,  it  being  the  seat  of  gov- 


KASKASKIA    AND    CAHOKIA    INDIANS.         189 

eminent  for  the  territory,  and  also  for  the  state,  for 
about  fifty  years.  People  coming  to  the  country 
made  this  a  place  of  stopping  until  a  location  could 
be  selected  elsewhere,  and  for  many  years  it  was  the 
largest  and  most  important  town  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghany  mountains  ;  but  owing  to  many  floods  in  the 
Mississippi  River  its  greatness  has  long  since  de- 
parted, and  at  present  it  is  only  a  small  town  of  but 
little  importance. 

KASKASKIA  AND   CAHOKIA  INDIANS. 

The  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  Indians  when  the 
French  came  to  the  country  lived  in  the  towns  that 
bore  their  respective  names,  but  they  had  other  vil- 
lages on  the  American  Bottom.  These  Indians  lived 
on  friendly  terms  with  the  early  settlers,  and  it  was 
the  boast  of  one  of  their  noted  chiefs,  Ducogna,  that 
his  people  had  neater  shed  the  blood  of  a  white  man. 

After  the  northern  bands  of  the  Illinois  Indians 
were  annihilated  their  country  came  into  the  posses- 
sion of  the  victors,  consisting  of  Pottawatomies,  Ot- 
tawas,  Chippewas  and  Kickapoos.  These  tribes 
made  war  on  the  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  bands,  and 
a  number  of  bloody  battles  were  fought  between  the 
contending  parties.  The  hunting-grounds  lying  be- 
tween these  tribes,  including  a  large  portion  of  the 
central  division  of  the  state,  became  overrun  with 


190  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

game,  and  for  many  years  neither  part}"  would  risk 
hunting  here,  as  they  were  liable  to  be  attacked  by 
the  enemy.  In  1782  a  battle  was  fought  between 
these  tribes  on  Battle  Ground  Creek,  twenty -five 
miles  east  of  Kaskaskia,  and  for  many  years  the 
ground  of  this  battle-field  was  covered  with  human 
bones.  Another  battle  between  these  Indians  was 
fought  about  the  same  time  on  Cache  River,  now  in 
Johnson  county,  and  the  bones  of  the  slain  can  still 
be  seen  in  a  cave  near  the  battle-ground. 

As  late  as  the  year  1809  the  Kaskaskia  Indians 
had  a  village  of  about  eight  hundred  inhabitants, 
near  Prarie  du  Rocher,  and  one  nearly  as  large  on 
the  Kaskaskia  River.  At  that  time  the  Cahokia  Indi- 
ans had  two  small  villages  near  their  old  town,  but 
their  number  is  not  known. 

There  was  a  band  of  Kaskaskia  Indians  at  one 
time  on  Cache  River,  known  as  the  wild  band,  who 
were  engaged  in  some  of  the  border  wars,  and  were 
a  party  to  Wayne's  treaty  at  Greenville  in  1795,  and 
received  annuity  from  the  government.  A  large 
portion  of  this  band  fell  victims  to  the  Kickapoos 
during  one  of  their  raids,  and  in  order  to  be  pro- 
tected by  the  whites  they  left  their  former  home  on 
Cache  River  and  lived  in  a  village  near  Prairie  du 
Rocher. 

The  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  Indians  claimed  all 


PEORIA    INDIANS.  191 

the  land  in  the  state  south  of  a  line  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Illinois  River  to  a  point  on  the  Wabash  near 
the  present  site  of  Terre  Haute.  These  lands  were 
ceded  to  the  government  at  a  treaty  at  Edwards- 
ville  on  September  25,  1818,  for  a  small  amount  of 
money,  payable  annually  for  twelve  years.  As  the 
country  settled  up  game  became  scarce.  These  Indi- 
ans went  west  at  different  times,  the  last  of  them 
leaving  the  country  in  1833,  and  a  remnant  of  these 
bands  are  now  living  in  the  Indian  territory  south 
of  Kansas. 

PEORIA  INDIANS. 

Indian  history  is  always  more  or  less  conflicting, 
and  not  very  reliable,  as  each  writer  on  this  subject 
.arranges  things  in  accordance  to  his  own  fancy.  It  is 
an  account  of  people  who  left  no  history,  and  all 
that  is  known  of  them  are  scraps  of  tradition,  which 
are  more  or  less  veiled  in  doubt  and  uncertainty, 
therefore  due  allowance  should  be  made  for  conflicting 
statements.  For  more  than  forty  years  my  attention 
has  been  directed  to  this  subject,  and  statements 
here  given  are  the  result  of  long  investigations. 

The  principal  village  of  the  Peoria  Indians  was 
on  the  west  side  of  Peoria  Lake,  and  called  Opa  by 
the  French.  On  La  Salle's  first  visit  to  this  town 
Neconope  was  head  chief,  who  is  represented  as  be- 
ing unfriendly  to  the  whites.  But  in  after  years  this 


192  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

chief  was  succeeded  by  one  named  Kolet,  who  be- 
came a  Christian,  and  through  his  influence  Jesuits 
established  a  mission  in  his  village.  French  traders 
built  houses  in  the  village,  and  for  more  than  fifty 
years  whites  lived  with  the  Indians.  It  is  said  the 
Peorias  had  other  villages  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lake, 
but  their  exact  location  is  unknown. 

The  Peoria  Indians  were  engaged  in  the  war 
against  the  allied  forces  in  defense  of  their  country, 
and  most  of  the  warriors  were  slain  at  La  Vantum  or 
perished  on  the  summit  of  Starved  Rock.  When 
those  at  home,  being  mostly  infirm  from  age,  squaws, 
papooses,  etc.,  heard  of  the  slaughter  of  their  friends 
they  fled  to  the  south  to  escape  a  like  fate.  A  few 
who  had  intermarried  with  the  French  remained  at 
the  village  and. were  not  molested. 

A  remnant  of  a  band  of  Peoria  Indians  lived  at  a 
village  south  of  Cahokia  for  many  years,  and  were  a 
party  to  the  treaty  at  Edwardsville  on  the  25th  of 
September,  1818.  At  this  treaty  they  sold  their 
land  to  the  government,  except  a  small  reservation, 
and  received  as  consideration  two  thousand  dollars 
in  goods,  with  an  annuity  of  three  dollars  for  twelve, 
years.  Some  years  after  disposing  of  their  lands 
they  sold  the  reservation,  went  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  mingled  with  other  tribes. 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

INDIAN  TRIBES  IN  ILLINOIS  TERRITORY. 

A  FTER  the  Illinois  Indians  were  annihilated,  in 
-L±.  1769,  the  conquerors  took  possession  of  the 
country,  and  occupied  it  about  seventy  years.  The 
Illinois  River  had  long  been  known  as  the  Indian 
country,  being  more  densely  inhabited  by  them  than 
any  other  part  of  the  west.  Here  lived  the  larger  por- 
tion of  the  Illinoisans,  and  here,  too,  were  found  their 
successors,  the  Pottawatomies.  Between  Peoria 
Lake  arid  the  mouth  of  Fox  River  were  eight  Indian 
villages,  some  of  which  were  very  large,  containing 
hundreds  of  inhabitants.  Although  their  villages 
and  cornfields  were  mostly  located  on  or  near  the 
Illinois  River  they  claimed  as  hunting-ground  the 
country  between  the  W abash  and  Mississippi 
Rivers,  and  over  this  vast  tract  they  roamed  in  pur- 
suit of  game. 

In  the  year  1800  the  commissioner  of  Indian 
affairs  estimated  that  thirty  thousand  Indians,  in- 
cluding all  the  different  tribes,  were  living  within 

13  193 


194  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

the  limits  of  this  state,  arid  about  three-fifths  of  this 
number  were  on  the  Illinois  River. 

In  the  central  portion  of  the  state,  on  the  Mack- 
inaw and  Sangamon  Rivers,  were  a  few  villages  of 
Kickapoo  Indians.  On  the  Kankakee  River  were 
two  villages  of  Ottawas,  and  near  Lake  Michigan 
were  a  few  villages  of  Chippeways.  Near  Rock 
Island  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  had  two  villages,  and  also 
one  on  the  present  site  of  Quincy.  In  the  north 
part  of  the  state  were  Winnebagoes,  and  at  the  south 
were  Kaskaskia  arid  Cahokia  Indians. 

These  Indians  at  various  treaties  sold  their  lands 
to  the  government  for  homes  in  the  west,  and  left 
the  country  at  different  periods  from  1825  to  1836. 

MONKS  OF  LA  TRAPPE. 

This  curious  order  of  religious  enthusiasts  had  its 
origin  in  1664  through  a  wealthy  nobleman  named 
Abbe  Ranee,  who  lived  in  the  south  of  France.  For 
many  years  he  lived  a  gay,  fast  life,  but  on  the  death 
of  h's  mistress,  Madame  Monblazan,  he  renounced 
the  world,  rejected  all  the  comforts  of  life, —  bread 
and  water  was  his  food,  and  a  stone  his  bed.  Ranee 
used  his  fortune  in  establishing  the  order,  and  had 
many  followers.  He  built  a  monastery  at  La  Trappe, 
and  from  this  fact  the  name  of  the  order  originated. 

In  the  year  1704  about  twenty  monks  of  the  order 


OLD    FOET    NEAR    STARVED    ROCK.  195 

of  La  Trappe  came  to  Illinois  and  established  them- 
selves on  the  American  Bottom,  in  St.  Clair  county. 
Colonel  N.  Jerret,  of  Cahokia,  gave  them  a  farm, 
and  furnished  money  to  erect  buildings  thereon. 
They  built  a  monastery  on  the  top  of  a  high  mound, 
now  known  as  Monk  Hill,  and  cultivated  a  small 
farm  near  by.  Some  of  the  Monks  repaired  watches, 
others  traded  with  the  people,  selling  them  various 
kinds  of  articles,  which  they  brought  from  France. 

These  monks  were  filthy  in  their  habits,  very 
rigid  in  penance,  spending  three  hours  each  day  in 
religious  exercise,  when  their  songs  of  praise  could 
be  heard  far  away.  The  climate  did  not  agree  with 
them;  two  of  the  priests  and  five  lay  brethren  died. 
They  became  very  unpopular  among  the  people  in 
that  locality,  and  in  1813  they  sold  their  property 
and  returned  to  France. 

OLD  FORT  NEAR  STARVED  ROCK. 

On  the  river-bluff,  one  half-mile  south  of  Starved 
Rock,  are  the  remains  of  an  ancient  fortification, 
known  as  the  Old  Fort,  and  consist  of  low,  irregular 
earthworks.  This  relic  of  antiquity  is  located  on 
level  land  at  the  intersection  of  two  ravines,  and  on 
two  sides  follows  the  curve  of  the  hill  above  the 
ravines  in  zigzag  lines,  with  an  open  gateway  at  the 
east,  fronting  the  prairie.  These  lines  enclose  about 


196  PIONEERS   OF   ILLINOIS. 

one  acre  of  ground,  which  is  of  an  oblong  shape,  and 
is  now  covered  with  large  burr-oak  trees.  This  ap- 
pears to  have  been  only  a  temporary  fortification, 
consisting  of  an  embankment  with  a  ditch  on  the  in- 
side, and  perhaps  enclosed  with  palisades.  There 
are  many  large  trees  growing  on  the  embankment 
and  in  the  ditch,  which  is  conclusive  evidence  of  its 
great  antiquity.  Most  all  the  relics  of  past  ages  are 
found  in  favorable  localities,  where  beauty  and  con- 
venience have  been  consulted,  but  this  one  appears 
to  be  an  exception  to  this  rule,  and  it  is  a  mystery 
to  me  why  any  people  would  build  a  fort  in  such  a 
place  as  this. 

At  what  time  this  fort  was  built,  by  whom,  and 
for  what  purpose,  will  in  all  probability  forever  re- 
main a  mystery.  It  could  not  have  been  built  by 
the  French,  for  it  shows  no  sign  of  civil  engineering, 
and  neither  history  nor  tradition  gives  any  account 
of  it.  Some  people  believe  it  was  built  by  the 
French  while  in  possession  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  and 
used  as  a  summer  fort  to  protect  themselves  from 
the  Indians  while  raising  a  crop  on  the  adjoining 
prairie,  but  this  is  not  probable,  as  they  always  lived' 
on  friendly  terms  with  the  natives,  and  therefore 
needed  no  protection.  Jacques  Mette  and  Hypolite 
Pilette  inform  me  that  their  ancestors  lived  at  Fort 
St.  Louis,  the  former  a  soldier  and  the  latter  a 


THE    RUINED    CITY    OF   AZTALAN.  197 

trader,  and  are  positive  that  no  out  fortification 
could  have  been  built  by  the  French  without  con- 
stituting a  part  of  their  family  traditions.  This  fort 
in  all  probability  is  the  work  of  people  who  pos- 
sessed the  country  many  centuries  ago,  known  as 
Mound  Builders,  as  many  similar  relics  are  found 
elsewhere. 

About  two  hundred  yards  northeast  of  the  old 
fort,  by  the  side  of  a  small  ravine,  is  a  shaft  of  coal 
near  the  surface,  only  a  few  feet  under  ground.  On 
examining  this  shaft  a  few  years  ago  it  was  found 
that  the  coal  had  been  taken  out  for  some  distance, 
and  the  embankment  on  each  side  of  it,  made  by 
throwing  out  the  dirt  over  the  coal,  is  now  covered 
with  trees.  This  work  must  have  been  done  many 
centuries  ago,  and  most  probably  by  the  occupants 
of  the  old  fort  near  by. 

THE  RUINED  CITY  OF  AZTALAN. 

Ancient  mounds,  low  earthworks,  and  fortifica- 
tions are  found  in  various  localities,  but  are  more 
common  in  a  favorable  place  for  residence  along 
large  streams  or  on  fertile  plains,  showing  that  the 
ancient  as  well  as  modern  inhabitants  were  attracted 
to  localities  of  beauty  and  convenience.  On  the 
bank  of  Rock  River,  where  the  stream  expands  into  a 
beautiful  little  lake,  causing  many  natural  attractions, 


198  PIONEEES    OF    ILLINOIS. 

are  found  the  remarkable  remains  of  earthworks, 
known  as  the  ruined  city  of  Aztalan.  The  ruins  of 
this  ancient  city  were  discovered  in  1836,  and  sur- 
veyed the  following  year  by  N.  F.  Hyer.  At  that 
.time  it  attracted  much  attention,  and  many  extrava- 
gant stories  were  in  circulation  about  its  brick  walls 
and  stone  arches,  etc. ,  all  of  which  tnere  is  but  little 
truth  in. 

These  works  consist  of  irregular  embankments, 
twenty  feet  wide  on  the  top,  and  from  three  to  eight 
feet  high,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  rods  in 
length,  forming  three  sides  of  an  enclosure,  the  river 
the  fourth,  and  encircle  an  area  of  seventeen  and 
two-thirds  acres.  At  short  intervals  are  buttresses, 
fifty  feet  in  diameter,  composed  of  red  clay  of  a  pe- 
culiar mixture,  which  originated  the  popular  belief 
that  they  had  been  built  with  brick,  and  moulded 
into  clay,  as  we  now  see  it.  On  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  these  earthworks  is  a  mound,  rising  like  a 
pyramid,  fifty  feet  wide  at  the  top,  and  ascended  by 
a  succession  of  steps.  This  is  supposed  to  have  been 
the  most  sacred  spot,  as  well  as  the  highest,  and  prob- 
ably contained  a  temple  on  its  summit.  In  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  enclosure  is  another  pyram- 
idal elevation,  surrounded  by  rings  of  small  ones 
supposed  to  have  been  mud  houses  for  dwellings  or 
other  unknown  purposes.  These  structures  are  be- 


FORTIFICATIONS    AT   MARSEILLES.  199 

lieved  to  have  been  used  for  religious  or  sacramental 
purposes,  and  also  for  a  sepulcher,  as  beneath  these, 
imbedded  in  the  earth,  were  found  buried  many  half- 
burned  human  remains,  with  fragments  of  pottery  and 
charcoal.  These  works  bear  a  strong  resemblance  to 
temple  mounds  found  elsewhere,  but  their  great  ex- 
tent, encircling  so  large  a  tract  of  land,  is  evidence 
that  they  were  intended  for  a  fortification  as  well  as 
for  religious  or  ceremonial  purposes. 

ANCIENT  FORTIFICATIONS  AT  MARSEILLES. 

On  the 'north  side  of  the  Illinois  River,  about 
midway  of  the  great  rapids,  and  close  to  the  town  of 
Marseilles,  can  still  be  seen  an  ancient  fortification, 
consisting  of  low  earthworks.  These  works  are 
located  on  the  river  batik  fifteen  feet  above  high- 
water  mark,  and  partly  surrounded  by  a  slough  or 
bayou,  leaving  only  a  narrow  tongue  of  land  between 
the  river  and  pond,  which  appears  to  have  been  the 
only  ingress  and  egress  to  the  fort.  The  fort  is  of 
an  elongated  shape,  three  hundred  yards  in  length, 
and  will  average  about  thirty  yards  in  breadth,  and 
contains  within  this  enclosure  two  and  three-fourths 
acres.  The  walls  are  irregular,  running  in  and  out 
of  a  parallel  line,  with  a  ditch  on  the  inside.  From  a 
military  stand-point  these  works  are  well  located, 
being  situated  near  the  river  bank,  where  the  strong 


200  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

current  of  the  rapids  is  thrown  near  the  shore,  and 
boats  could  not  pass  up  or  down  the  stream  without 
coming  close  to  the  fort. 

Northeast  of  the  old  fort,  on  the  bluff,  about  one 
hundred  rods  distant,  is  the  remains  of  earthworks, 
following  the  brow  of  the  hill  in  a  straight  line,  and 
three  hundred  feet  in  length.  By  some  people 
this  is  thought  to  have  been  an  out-post  or  signal 
station  for  the  fort  on  the  river,  but  it  is  more  likely 
to  have  been  breastworks  thrown  up  by  an  enemy 
while  besieging  the  garrison. 

"Within  the  old  fortification  and  its  surroundings 
many  relics  of  past  ages  have  been  found,  but  these  ar- 
ticles throw  no  light  on  the  perplexed  questions  of  the 
time,  and  by  whom  these  works  were  constructed. 
Among  these  relics  is  a  sword,  two  silver  crosses  bear- 
ing the  letters  R  C,  and  with  the  word  "  Montreal " 
stamped  on  them,  also  pieces  of  silver  plate  for  orna- 
menting gun  barrels,  knife  handles,  etc.,  marked  in  a 
like  manner,  all  bearing  the  initials  of  the  great  ex- 
plorer, Robert  Cavalier  (La  Salle  being  only  a  title). 
In  all  probability  these  articles  were  manufactured  at 
Montreal  for  La  Salle,  brought  west  as  part  of  his 
stock-in-trade  and  sold  to  the  Indians,  as  similar 
articles  marked  in  like  manner  have  been  found 
elsewhere. 

These  old  earthworks  were  surveyed  by  Colonel 


RUINED    FORT    ON    FOX    RIVER.  201 

D.  F.  Hitt,  of  Ottawa,  in  June,  1876,  and  a  diagram 
of  them  can  be  found  in  Baldwin's  history  of  La 
Salle  county.  Dr.  J.  H.  Goodell,  of  Marseilles,  has 
made  some  examination  of  these  relics  of  antiquity, 
and  to  him  I  am  indebted  for  many  of  the  items 
given  above. 

THE  RUINED  FORT  ON  FOX  RIVER. 

This  ancient  fortification  is  situated  on  a  bluff  on 
the  east  side  of  Fox  River,  and  opposite  the  mouth 
of  Indian  Creek.  The  bluff  on  which  the  fort  stands 
is  sixty-five  feet  high.  About  forty  feet  of  this  is  a 
rock,  rising  almost  perpendicular  from  the  bed  of  the 
river,  and  affords  a  commanding  view  of  the  sur- 
roundings. These  works  are  located  at  the  intersec- 
tion of  a  deep  ravine,  and  partly  surrounded  on  three 
sides  by  a  rocky  cliff.  The  land  side  opposite  to  the 
river  and  ravine  is  encircled  by  three  rows  of  breast- 
works, and  on  the  inside  of  these  is  a  ditch. 
Through  these  rows  of  breastworks  to  the  eastward 
is  an  open  gateway,  constituting  the  only  egress  and 
ingress  to  and  from  the  fort  within. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  ravine,  on  a  bluff 
north  of  the  fort,  are  a  number  of  mounds.  The  ob- 
ject for  which  these  were  constructed  has  not  been  de- 
termined. Near  these  mounds  is  a  chasm  cut  in  the 
rocky  cliff,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  used  as 
a  stairway  by  the  occupants  of  the  fort. 


202  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

The  Fox  Kiver  fort  differs  from  all  other  ancient 
works  found  in  this  section  of  the  country,  as  it  con- 
tains three  rows  of  breastworks,  which  are  close  to- 
gether and  extend  all  the  way  around  it.  These 
old  ruins  are  of  a  circular  form,  and  contain  within 
the  inclosure  a  little  less  than  one  acre  of  ground. 

There  are  different  opinions  about  the  builders  of 
other  fortifications  in  this  section  of  the  country,  but 
all  agree  that  the  Fox  River  fort  is  the  work  of  a 
prehistoric  race,  and  built  centuries  ago. 

This  fort,  like  the  one  at  Marseilles,  was  surveyed 
by  Colonel  D.  F.  Hitt,  of  Ottawa,  June  3,  1877,  and 
a  diagram  of  it  published  in  Baldwin's  history  of 
La  Salle  county. 

MEDORE  JENKETTE,  A  FUR  TRADER. 

In  1772  Auguste  and  Pierre  Chouteau,  fur  traders 
at  St.  Louis,  extended  their  business  into  the  Illinois 
country,  and  established  a  trading-post  at  the  mouth 
of  Fox  River.  Three  years  before  the  Illinois  Indi- 
ans were  exterminated,  and  the  country  occupied  by 
Pottawatomies,  whose  villages  were  found  at  differ- 
ent places  along  the  Illinois  River.  For  many  years 
merchants  at  Peoria  had  monopolized  the  fur  trade 
in  this  section  of  the  country,  but  the  Chouteaus,  who 
were  doing  a  large  business  along  the  upper  Mississip- 
pi and  Missouri  rivers,  now  came  in  competit  on  with 


MEDORE   JENNETTE.  203 

them.  Among  Chouteau's  employes  was  a  yonng 
Frenchman  named  Medore  Jennette,  who  had  been 
raised  near  St.  Vincent,  on  the  Wabash,  among  Potta- 
watomie  Indians,  and  spoke  their  language.  Jennette 
traveled  extensively  over  the  country,  making  the 
acquaintance  of  different  bands,  and  enlisted  them  in 
favor  of  his  employers'  enterprise.  After  roving  a 
few  years  he  found  a  home  at  an  Indian  village,  op- 
posite the  mouth  of  Fox  River,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days.  Jennette  married  a  squaw, 
built  a  cabin  in  the  village,  and  raised  a  family  of 
half-breed  children.  His  time  was  occupied  in  col- 
lecting furs  and  pelts,  shipping  them  to  St.  Louis,  and 
the  vessel  loaded  back  with  goods  for  the  Indian 
market.  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  note  that  while  Chou- 
teaus  and  traders  at  Kaskaskia  sent  their  furs  to  New 
Orleans,  and  from  there  received  their  goods,  mer- 
chants at  Peoria  continued  to  trade  at  Montreal  until 
their  town  was  burned,  in  1812. 

In  the  summer  of  1773,  when  Pat  Kennedy  and 
comrades  ascended  the  Illinois  River  in  search  of 
copper  mines,  they  employed  Jennette  to  pilot  them 
through  the  country.  These  adventurers  found  coal 
banks,  a  saline  spring  where  people  were  engaged  in 
making  salt,  and  a  flint  rock  where  the  French  ob- 
tained their  mill-stones,  but  copper,  the  object  of 
their  search,  they  found  none. 


204  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

Jennette  lived  many  years  among  the  Indians, 
became  very  popular  with  them,  and  through  his  en- 
ergy and  industry  his  employers  accumulated  much 
of  their  wealth.  After  his  death  the  family  left  their 
Indian  home  for  a  French  settlement  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, where  many  of  his  descendants  now  live.  One 
of  his  sons,  Louis  Jennette,  although  having  passed 
his  ninetieth  birthday  has  a  vivid  recollection  of  the 
country  along  the  Illinois  River  as  it  appeared  eighty 
years  ago.  Last  summer  the  old  gentleman,  accom- 
panied by  his  grandson,  visited  the  place  of  his  na- 
tivity, in  order  that  he  might  once  more  look  upon 
the  scenes  of  his  childhood.  Here,  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river,  is  the  mineral  spring,  and  here,  too,  is 
the  spring  of  sweet  water.  By  the  side  of  it  stood  his 
father's  cabin,  in  which  he  spent  his  infantile  years. 
North  of  the  river,  on  the  little  prairie  where  he  had 
gathered  flowers,  and  played  beneath  the  shade  of 
outspreading  oaks  in  his  boyhood  days,  is  now  cov- 
ered by  the  city  of  Ottawa.  The  river  continues  to 
run  as  in  former  times ;  Buffalo  Rock.  Starved  Rock 
and  Maiden's  Leap  remain  the  same  as  in  his  youth- 
ful days,  but  all  the  surroundings  have  undergone  a 
great  change.  Instead  of  a  wild  country  of  eighty 
years  ago  farms  are  seen  in  close  succession,  while 
towns  and  cities  abound  everywhere  throughout  the 
land. 


CHAPTEK  XVII. 

ENGLISH  AND  FRENCH  RELATION  WITH  INDIANS. 

THE  French  were  liberal  in  their  gifts  to  the 
Indians,  supplying  them  with  medals  and 
showy  trinkets,  with  which  they  decorated  their  per- 
sons. They  also  lived  with  them  in  a  wigwam, 
adopting  their  habits  and  customs,  making  of  them 
chums  and  associates.  Many  of  the  French  pioneers 
abandoned  their  countrymen,  sacrificing  every  tie  of 
blood  and  kindred,  identifying  themselves  with  Indi- 
ans, and  sank  into  barbarism.  In  the  camp  men 
were  found  speaking  the  French  language,  yet  in 
their  barbarous  costume,  face  painted,  head  deco- 
rated with  feathers,  wearing  rings  and  beads,  appear- 
ing in  every  respect  like  those  with  whom  they  had 
cast  their  lot,  which  accords  with  an  old  saying,  "it 
is  impossible  for  an  Indian  to  turn  paleface,  but  it  is 
e^y  for  a  paleface  to  turn  Indian."  Among  the  Eng- 
lish fur  traders,  hunters  and  early  pioneers  were 
found  men  low  and  brutal  in  their  habits,  having 
thrown  off  all  restraint  of  civilization,  making  them- 
selves barbarians,  but  they  did  not  become  Indians. 


205 


206  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

The  English,  unlike  the  French,  did  not  court  the 
friendship  of  the  Indians,  but  would  encroach  upon 
their  hunting-grounds,  treat  their  rights  with  con- 
tempt, and  pay  off  these  injuries  in  abuse  and  threats. 
The  difference  in  these  nationalities  was  soon  ob- 
served by  the  Indians,  when  they  formed  a  strong 
friendship  for  one  and  a  dislike  for  the  other,  conse- 
quently the  Indian  raids  on  the  settlements  were 
against  American  citizens  only,  and  no  French  family 
was  molested.  During  the  different  Indian  wars  in 
the  early  settlement  of  Illinois  the  French  traders  and 
hunters  pursued  their  business  unmolested,  but  if  a 
person  was  found  among  them  speaking  the  English 
language,  although  employed  by  the  French  traders, 
he  would  be  tomahawked  as  a  common  enemy. 

AMERICAN    PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

A  number  of  persons  who  accompanied  Colonel 
Clark  in  his  expedition  against  Illinois,  being  pleased 
with  the  country,  returned  with  their  families  a  few 
years  afterward  and  became  the  first  American  pio- 
neers of  the  territory.  Most  of  these  emigrants 
were  from  Kentucky,  and  they  made  a  settlement 
northeast  of  Cahokia  in  what  is  now  St.  Clair  and 
Madison  counties. 

In  the  summer  of  1785  the  Kickapoo  Indians, 
headed  by  their  old  chief  Pecan,  commenced  hostili- 


EARLY    GOVERNMENT    OF    ILLINOIS.  207 

ties  against  the  American  settlers,  for  the  purpose 
of  driving  them  out  of  the  country.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  a  short  interval  this  war  continued  for 
ten  years,  and  many  of  the  early  settlers  were  killed 
or  carried  off  captive  by  these  savages.  Among  the 
emigrants  from  Kentucky  were  three  families  of 
Whitesides,  who  became  noted  Indian  fighters,  and 
the  history  of  these  wars  is  filled  with  many  of 
their  heroic  acts  and  wild  adventures. 

The  emigrants  who  located  in  or  near  the  French 
villages  were  not  molested,  as  the  war  was  carried 
on  against  the  Americans  only.  During  the  contin- 
uation of  this  war  no  French  family  was  molested, 
and  the  traders  continued  to  pass  up  and  down  the 
Illinois  River  in  the  pursuit  of  their  business  the 
same  as  in  time  of  peace. 

In  1786  the  Indians  made  prisoners  of  two  small 
children  belonging  to  Samuel  Garrison,  carried  them 
to  their  village  on  the  Saline  fork  of  Sangamon  River, 
where  they  were  kept  for  about  a  year,  but  were 
finally  ransomed  by  Colonel  N.  Jarret,  of  Cahokia. 

EARLY  GOVERNMENT  OF  ILLINOIS. 

From  the  early  settlement  of  Illinois  there  was 
no  law  in  force  but  village  ordinances  till  1711,  when 
a  patent  was  granted  to  Crozat,  a  Paris  merchant, 
for  the  purpose  of  governing  the  country.  Captain 


208  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

La  Mott,  an  agent  of  Crozat,  came  to  Illinois,  acting 
as  governor,  and  extended  civil  jurisdiction  over  the 
different  colonies.  Five  years  afterward  a  new 
patent  was  granted  to  the  Louisiana  Mining  Com- 
pany, with  George  Law,  a  Scotch  banker,  as  its  head, 
and  for  fourteen  years  this  company  governed  the 
country.  The  charter  of  this  company  having  ex- 
pired in  1732,  the  country  reverted  back  to  the 
crown,  and  Colonel  D.  Artaguette  appointed  gov- 
ernor. In  1765  the  British  took  possession  of  Illi- 
nois, by  virtue  of  a  treaty  between  France  and  Eng- 
land made  some  time  before.  For  a  short  time 
Captain  Stirling  acted  as  governor,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  different  commanders,  who  enforced  laws 
contrary  to  the  wishes  of  the  French  people.  In 
1778  Colonel  Clark  took  possession  of  Illinois,  and 
it  became  a  part  of  the  State  of  Virginia.  The  same 
year  the  territory  was  organized  by  extending  over 
it  civil  jurisdiction,  and  known  as  Illinois  county, 
Virginia.  Colonel  John  Todd,  of  Kentucky,  re- 
ceived an  appointment  from  the  Governor  of  Vir- 
ginia, as  Lieutenant-Commandant,  with  power  to  en- 
force laws,  and  governed  the  country  for  three  years, 
but  while  on  a  visit  to  Kentucky  in  1782  was  killed 
at  the  battle  of  Blue  Licks. 

Virginia  having  relinquished  her  claim  to  Illinois 
in  1784,  an  ordinance  passed  Congress  transferring  it 


DISAPPEAKANCE    OF    BUFFALO.  209 

to  the  general  government,  consequently  it  became 
a  part  of  the  Northwest  Territory,  and  was  divided 
into  two  counties,  Randolph  and  St.  Glair.  In  1809  it 
was  set  off  into  a  separate  territory,  and  Ninian  Ed- 
wards, of  Kentucky,  appointed  governor.  In  1812  it 
assumed  a  second  grade  of  territorial  government, 
with  a  legislature  and  a  delegate  in  Congress.  In 
1818  Illinois  became  a  state,  and  Shadrack  Bond 
elected  the  first  governor. 

DISAPPEARANCE  OF  BUFFALO. 

The  flesh  of  the  buifalo  furnished  the  Indians 
with  food,  their  skins  with  clothing,  bedding,  tents, 
etc.,  their  sinews  for  bows,  the  bones  for  ornaments, 
and  the  hair  they  wove  into  a  fine  fabric  for  dress, 
consequently  the  disappearance  of  these  animals 
from  the  country  deprived  them  of  many  luxuries. 
The  exact  time  the  buffalo  left  the  country  has  been 
a  controverted  point,  but  in  comparing  various  ac- 
counts it  must  have  been  between  the  years  of  1780 
and  1790.  In  1778  Antonie  Des  Champs,  a  noted 
Indian  trader,  came  to  Peoria  with  his  parents,  and 
continued  to  live  there  until  the  town  was  burned. 
He  says  for  many  years  after  he  came  west  buffalo 
were  plenty  throughout  the  country,  and  large  herds 
of  them  were  frequently  seen  swimming  the  Illinois 

River. 

14 


210  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

I  have  conversed  with  old  Indians  that  were  born 
and  raised  in  this  part  of  the  country,  who  said  in 
their  youthful  days  they  had  seen  large  herds  of  buf- 
falo on  these  prairies,  but  they  all  perished  at  the 
time  of  a  big  snow  which  covered  the  ground  many 
feet  in  depth,  and  crusted  so  hard  on  top  that 
people  walked  on  it.  Next  spring  a  few  buffalo, 
poor  and  haggard  in  appearance,  were  seen  going 
westward,  and  as  they  approached  the  carcasses  of 
dead  ones,  which  were  lying  in  great  numbers  here 
and  there  on  the  prairie,  they  would  stop,  commence 
pawing  and  lowing,  then  start  oif  again  in  a  lope 
westward,  and  from  that  time  they  were  seldom  seen 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

Forty  years  ago  buffalo  bones  were  plenty  on  these 
prairies  and  in  many  places  acres  of  ground  were  cov- 
ered with  them,  showing  where  large  herds  had  per 
ished.  Skulls  with  horns  still  on  them  were  fre- 
quently found,  and  their  trails  leading  to  and  from 
watering-places  were  plain  to  be  seen  in  the  early 
settlement  of  the  country. 

'EARLY  HISTORY  OF  CHICAGO. 

All  that  is  known  of  the  early  history  of  Chicago, 
or  the  place  where  the  city  now  stands,  is  taken  from 
Indian  tradition  and  scraps  of  the  early  explorer's 
journal,  neither  of  which  is  considered  very  reliable. 


EARLY    HISTORY    OF    CHICAGO.  211 

It  is  said  Father  Nicollet,  a  French  Jesuit  priest, 
preached  to  the  Indians  at  the  mouth  of  Chicago 
River  in  1640,  and  in  all  probability  he  was  the  first 
white  man  that  ever  rowed  a  canoe  on  the  waters  of 
Lake  Michigan,  or  trod  the  soil  of  Illinois.  In  16T1 
Nicholas  Barret  visited  this  place,  and  two  years 
afterward  Marquette  and  comrades  stopped  here. 
According  to  tradition  a  Frenchman  named  Goris 
built  a  trading-house  on  Chicago  River  and  sur- 
rounded it  with  palisades,  called  a  fort,  but  the  time 
of  building  it  is  not  known.  In  the  early  settlement 
of  Chicago  relics  of  a  fortification  were  found  on  the 
north  branch,  a  short  distance  above  the  forks  of 
the  river.  In  General  Wayne's  treaty  at  Greenville, 
in  1796  a  purchase  was  made  of  the  Indians,  six 
miles  square,  at  the  mouth  of  Chicago  River,  where 
a  fort  once  stood,  is  the  language  of  the  treaty. 
About  the  year  1796  a  negro  named  Jean  Baptiste 
built  a  cabin  at  the  mouth  of  Chicago  River  and  oc- 
cupied it  for  a  short  time.  This  cabin  was  occupied 
for  some  years  by  a  French  fur  trader  by  the  name 
of  Le  Mai,  who  sold  it  to  John  Kirizie  in  1804. 

In  the  fall  of  1803  Captain  John  "Whitler,  with  a 
company  of  soldiers,  came  from  Detroit  in  a  schooner 
and  built  Fort  Dearborn.  The  next  year  John  Kin- 
zie,  a  fur  trader,  came  to  Chicago,  and  occupied 
Baptiste's  cabin  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  op- 


212  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

posite  the  fort.  Antiona  Oulmette,  Charles  Lee 
and  Mr.  Claybourn  came  here  soon  after  the  fort  was 
built.  Kinzie,  Oulmette  and  Claybourn  were  en- 
gaged in  the  fur  trade,  but  Lee  was  a  farmer,  and 
made  a  large  farm  at  a  grove  of  timber  on  the  south 
branch  called  "Lee's  Place,"  afterward  Bridgeport. 

JEAN  BAPTISTE   AND   FATHER   BONNER 

There  lived  near  Lexington,  Kentucky,  a  slave 
named  Jean  Baptiste,  who  had  been  a  captive  among . 
the  Indians,  learned  their  language,  and  became  fas- 
cinated with  their  free  and  easy  manner  of  living 
About  the  year  1790  Baptiste  became  dissatisfied 
with  restraint ;  his  proud  spirit  could  not  be  sub- 
dued by  the  whip  of  the  master,  therefore  he  severed 
the  bonds  which  made  him  a  slave.  Armed  with 
his  master's  rifle,  a  large  hunting-knife,  and  taking 
the  north  star  for  a  guide,  he  became  a  free  man. 
After  traveling  a  long  way  through  a  wild  country 
he  came  to  an  Indian  village  on  the  Des  Plaines 
River,  where  he  found  refuge,  and  became  an  Indian 
in  life  and  habit.  Here  he  married  a  squaw  and 
raised  a  family  of  children.  One  of  his  grandsons 
is  now  living  in  a  hewed-log  house  on  the  bank  of 
Cahokia  Creek,  in  St.  Clair  county,  and  from  whom 
I  obtained  the  narrative  relating  to  his  distinguished 
grandsire. 


JEAN  BAPTISTE  AND  FATHER  BONNER.   213 

The  Indians  used  to  say  the  first  white  man  that 
lived  in  Chicago  was  a  negro.  This  negro  was  Jean 
Baptiste,  whose  name  is  associated  with  the  early 
history  of  the  great  metropolis  of  the  west.  He  left 
the  Indian  village  on  the  Des  Plaines  soon  after 
coming  to  the  country,  and  built  a  cabin  near  the 
lake  on  the  north  side  of  Chicago  River.  He  culti- 
vated a  small  piece  of  ground,  spent  much  of  his 
time  in  hunting  and  fishing,  and  concocted  schemes 
to  make  himself  a  chief  among  the  Indians.  He  told 
the  Indians  that  he  had  been  a  great  chief  among 
the  whites,  and  expected  to  become  one  among 
them.  He  tried  to  induce  liis  Indian  friends  to 
move  their  village  to  the  mouth  of  Chicago  River, 
telling  them  it  would  be  a  big  town  some  day,  and 
they  could  sell  the  land  to  white  people  at  a  good 
price.  His  object  was  to  have  a  village  here  on  the 
lake  shore,  of  which  he  would  be  the  founder,  and 
by  that  means  become  a  chief.  A  few  lodges  were 
built  here,  in  accordance  with  Baptiste's  wishes,  but 
the  scattering  trees  afforded  them  but  little  protec- 
tion from  the  cold  winds  off  the  lake,  so  they  left 
and  returned  to  their  old  village  on  the  Des  Plaines. 

At  that  time  Father  Bonner,  a  missionary,  was 
living  among  the  Indians,  and  for  many  years  had 
preached  to  them.  Baptiste,  aware  of  the  priest's 
influence  among  the  Indians,  thought  he  might  use 


214  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

it  to  his  own  advantage,  therefore  he  sought  his 
friendship  and  gained  his  confidence.  He  also 
joined  the  church,  became  a  zealous  Catholic,  at- 
tended all  meetings,  and  made  long  and  fervent 
prayers.  Father  Bonner  thought  only  of  making 
Baptiste  an  instrument  in  his  hands  to  promote  the 
cause  of  Christianity,  while  the  unscrupulous  negro 
expected  to  use  the  priest  in  advancing  his  claims  to 
the  chieftainship,  therefore  the  two  became  intimate 
friends  and  labored  for  each  other's  interest. 

On  St.  Jerome's  day  a  big  meeting  was  held 
among  the  Indian  converts,  and  after  preaching 
Father  Bonner  told  his  hearers  that  it  had  been  im- 
pressed on  his  mind  that  Baptiste  should  be  a  ruler 
among  them,  and  went  through  the  process  of  anoint- 
ing him  chief.  The  Indians  refused  to  accept  Bap- 
tiste as  their  chief,  notwithstanding  he  had  been 
appointed  by  high  authority.  Failing  to  be  made  a 
chief  Baptis*te  became  disgusted  with  the  life  of  a 
savage,  abandoned  his  cabin,  and  went  to  Peoria, 
where  he  ended  his  days. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

EARLY  FRENCH  SETTLEMENT  AT  PEORIA. 

A  T  what  time  the  French  commenced  a  settle- 
J_~\.  ment  at  Peoria  has  long  been  a  controverted 
point,  on  which  both  history  and  tradition  are  alike 
defective.  Some  people  believe  it  commenced'  in 
1680,  when  La  Salle  built  Fort  CK-ve-Coeur,  and 
from  that  time  people  continued  to  reside  here.  Oth- 
ers date  the  permanent  settlement  in  1760,  but  from 
old  letters  and  manuscripts  now  in  the  possession  of 
the  descendants  of  early  pioneers  it  is  evident  that 
it  commenced  at  an  early  period.  I  have  given  this 
subject  much  attention,  by  comparing  scraps  of  his- 
tory, extracts  of  letters  from  Jesuit  priests,  and  con- 
versing with  the  descendants  of  the  early  settlers, 
some  of  whom  trace  their  genealogy  back  to  the  time 
of  La  Salle.  By  comparing  all  the  different  accounts 
relating  thereto,  I  think  it  is  shown  conclusively 
that  the  settlement  at  Peoria  commenced  in  the  year 
1711,  and  under  the  following  circumstances  : 

In  the  summer  of  1711  Father  Marest,  a  Jesuit 

priest  from  Canada,  preached  to  the  Indians  at  Ca- 
st 5 


216  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

hokia,  and  by  the  force  of  his  eloquence  many  were 
converted  to  Christianity.  Among  these  converts 
was  a  chief  named  Kolet,  from  Peoria  Lake,  who  at 
that  time  was  visiting  friends  at  Cahokia.  This  chief 
prevailed  on  Father  Marest  to  accompany  him  home 
to  his  village  and  proclaim  salvation  to  his  people. 
Late  in  November  the  priest  and  chief,  accompanied 
by  two  warriors,  left  for  Peoria  in  a  bark  canoe,  but 
after  a  journey  of  ten  leagues  the  river  froze  up,  so 
that  further  progress  by  water  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. The  travelers  hid  their  canoe,  with  most  of 
their  baggage,  in  the  thick  timber  at  the  mouth  of 
a  creek,  and  continued  their  journey  on  foot.  For 
twelve  days  they  waded  through  snow  and  water, 
crossing  big  prairies,  and  through  thick  timber  full  of 
briers  and  thorns.  At  night  they  slept  on  dry  grass 
or  leaves  gathered  from  under  the  snow,  without 
shelter  or  anything  but  their  blankets  to  protect 
them  from  the  cold  winter  blasts.  The  provision 
for  their  journey  as  well  as  their  bedding  was  left 
with  the  canoe,  consequently  they  were  obliged 
to  subsist  on  wild  grapes,  and  game  killed  by  the 
way.  After  many  days  of  fatigue  and  exposure,  their 
limbs  frost-bitten,  and  their  bodies  reduced  in  flesh 
by  starvation,  they  at  last  reached  the  village,  and 
from  its  inhabitants  received  a  hearty  welcome. 
This  Indian  village  (afterward  called  by  the 


FRENCH  SETTLEMENT  AT  PEORIA.     217 

French  Opa)  was  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  Peoria 
Lake,  one  and  a  half  miles  above  its  outlet.  On  La- 
Sal  le's  first  visit  to  this  place,  thirty-one  years  be- 
fore, he  found  h^re  a  large  town,  and  «was  cordially 
received  by  the  head  chief,  Niconape,  but  this  chief 
had  long  since  been  gathered  to  his  fathers,  and  his 
place  occupied  by  Kolet,  above  referred  to. 

Father  Marest  found  quarters  in  an  Indian  lodge, 
and  remained  here  at  the  village  until  spring  with- 
out meeting  with  any  of  his  countrymen.  He 
preached  to  the  Indians  almost  daily,  many  of  whom 
embraced  Christianity,-  and  their  names  were  after- 
ward enrolled  in  the  church  book. 

In  the  following  spring,  1712,  the  French  at 
Fort  St.  Louis  established  a  trading-post  here  at 
Peoria  Lake,  and  a  number  of  families  came  thither 
from  Canada  and  built  cabins  in  the  Indian  village. 
For  fifty  years  French  and  half-breeds  continued  to 
live  in  the  town  with  the  Indians  as  one  people,  and 
during  that  time  peace  and  harmony  prevailed  be- 
tween them.  It  is  true  Charlevoix  while  visiting 
this  country  in  1721  says  he  found  no  one  living  at 
Fort  Creve-Cceur,  which  was  five  miles  below  this  vil- 
lage, but  met  with  his  countrymen  at  different  places 
along  the  Illinois  River. 

In  1723  the  Royal  Louisiana  Company  granted  to 
Philip  Renault  a  tract  of  land  fifteen  leagues  square, 


218  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

near  the  village  of  Peoria.  This  grant  was  bounded 
as  follows  :  Commencing  at  the  town  of  Peoria,  run- 
ning down  the  river  fifteen  leagues,  west  fifteen 
leagues,  thence  north  fifteen  leagues,  and  east  to  the 
place  of  beginning.  This  land  grant,  equal  to  three 
counties,  was  considered  of  no  value  at  the  time, 
an  i  the  claim  was  not  enforced  by  the  heirs  of  Ren- 
ault, like  the  other  two  grants  near  Fort  Chartres, 
consequently  it  reverted  back  to  the  crown. 

Here  at  the  village  of  Peoria  Father  Senat  built  a 
chapel,  and  made  many  converts  among  his  red 
brethren.  The  time  this  chapel  was  built  is  un- 
known, but  must  have  been  previous  to  1T36,  for  in 
that  year  he  was  burned  at  the  stake  by  the  Chicka- 
saw  Indians  in  lower  Louisiana. 

In  the  course  of  time  the  village  of  Peoria  was 
abandoned  for  one  which  figured  in  after  years  more 
extensively,  and  known  in  history  as  La  Ville  de 
Maillet. 

LA  VILLE  DE  MAILLET. 

In  the  spring  of  1761  Robert  Maillet,  a  trader  at 
Peoria,  built  a  dwelling  one  and  a  half  miles  below 
the  town,  near  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  and  moved  his 
family  thither.  Here  the  land  raised  gradually  from 
the  water's  edge  until  it  reached  the  high  prairie  in 
the  rear,  forming  a  beautiful  sloping  plateau,  proba- 
bly unequaled  by  any  place  on  the  Illinois  River. 


LA    VILLE    DE   MAILLET.  219 

This  location  for  a  town  was  considered  preferable 
to  the  old  one,  the  land  dryer,  the  water  better,  and 
thought  to  be  more  healthy,  consequently  others 
built  houses  by  the  side  of  Maillet's,  and  it  soon  be- 
came quite  a  village.  A  short  time  afterward  the 
inhabitants  deserted  the  old  town  for  the  new,  and 
no  Frenchman  remained  in  the  old  village  after  1770, 
but  it  was  occupied  by  Indians  for  many  years.  The 
houses  vacated  by  the  French  were  occupied  by  In- 
dians until  they  rotted  down,  and  the  remains  of  an 
old  chapel  could  be  seen  here  long  after  the  dwell- 
ings had  disappeared. 

This  new  town  took  the  name  of  La  Ville  de 
Maillet  (that  is,  the  city  of  Maillet)  after  its  founder, 
and  it  was  in  existence  fifty-one  years.  A  fort  was 
built  here  consisting  of  two  block  houses  surrounded 
by  earthworks  and  palisades,  with  an  open  gateway 
to  the  south,  next  to  the  town,  and  was  only  in- 
tended as  a  place  of  retreat  in  case  of  trouble  with 
the  Indians.  This  fort  was  never  occupied,  except  a 
short  time  by  Robert  Maillet,  who  used  one  of  the 
block  houses  for  a  dwelling  and  the  other  for  the 
sale  of  goods.  Some  years  afterward  Maillet  left 
the  fort  for  a  more  desirable  place  of  residence  and 
trade,  and  it  remained  vacant  for  many  years;  the 
inclosure  within  the  stockades  being  used  by  the  citi- 
zens in  common  for  a  cow-yard. 


220  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

In  1820  Hypolite  Maillet,  in  his  sworn  testimony 
before  Edward  Cole,  register  of  the  land-office  at 
Edwardsville,  in  relation  to  French  claims,  said  that 
he  was  forty-five  years  old,  and  born  in  a  stockade 
fort  which  stood  near  the  southern  extremity  of 
Peoria  Lake.  In  the  winter  of  1788  a  party  of  In- 
dians came  to  Peoria  to  trade,  and,  in  accordance 
with  their  former  practice,  took  quarters  in  the  fort, 
but  getting  on  a  drunken  spree  they  burned  it  down. 
In  the  spring  of  1819,  when  Americans  commenced 
asettlement  here  at  Peoria,  the  outlines  of  the  old 
French  fort  were  plain  to  be  seen  on  the  high  ground 
near  the  lake,  and  a  short  distance  above  the  present 
site  of  the  Chicago  and  Rock  Island  depot.  The 
line  of  earthworks  could  be  traced  out  by  the  small 
embankments,  and  in  some  places  pieces  of  pickets 
were  found  above  ground.  Back  of  the  fort  was  the 
remains  of  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  near  it  grew  up 
a  wild  plum  tree.  This  plum  tree  was  dug  up  by 
John  Brisket,  the  owner  of  the  land,  and  under  it 
was  found  a  vault  containing  a  quantity  of  old  metal, 
among  which  were  a  number  of  gun  barrels,  knives, 
tomahawks,  copper  and  brass  trinkets,  etc.  Among 
other  things  found  in  the  vault  were  pieces  of  silver 
and  brass  plate  for  inlaying  gun  stocks  and  orna- 
menting knife  handles.  These  things  appeared  to 


LA    VILLE    DE    MAILLET.  221 

have  been  the  stock-in-trade  of  a  gun-smith,  and,  for 
some  cause  unknown,  buried  here.* 

According  to  the  statements  of  Antoine  Des 
Champs,  Thomas  Forsyth,  and  others,  who  had  long 
been  residents  of  Peoria  previous  to  its  destruction  in 
1812,  we  infer  that  the  town  contained  a  large  popu- 
lation. It  formed  a  connecting  link  between  the 
settlements  on  the  Mississippi  and  Canada,  and  be- 
ing situated  in  the  midst  of  an  Indian  country,  caused 
it  to  be  a  line  place  for  the  fur  trade.  The  town  was 
built  along  the  beach  of  the  lake,  and  to  each  house 
was  attached  an  outlet  for  a  garden,  which  extended 
back  on  the  prairie.  The  houses  were  all  constructed 
of  wood,  one  story  high,  with  porches  on  two  sides, 
and  located  in  a  garden  surrounded  with  fruit  and 
flowers.  Some  of  the  dwellings  were  built  of  hewed 
timbers  set  upright,  and  the  space  between  the  posts 
filled  in  with  stone  and  mortar,  while  others  were 
built  of  hewed  logs  notched  together  after  the  style 
of  a  pioneer's  cabin.  The  floors  were  laid  with  pun- 
cheons, and  the  chimney  built  with  mud  and  sticks. 

When  Colonel  Clark  took  possession  of  Illinois 
in  1778  he  sent  three  soldiers,  accompanied  by  two 
Frenchmen,  in  a  canoe  to  Peoria  to  notify  the  people 
that  they  were  no  longer  under  British  rule  but  citi- 
zens of  the  United  States.  Among  these  soldiers 

*Ballance's  history  of  Peoria. 


222  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

was  a  man  named  Nicholas  Smith,  a  resident  of 
Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  and  whose  son,  Joseph 
Smith  (Dod  Joe),  was  among  the  first  American  set- 
tlers of  Peoria.  Through  this  channel  we  have  an 
account  of  Peoria  as  it  appeared  a  century  ago,  and 
it  agrees  well  with  other  traditional  accounts. 

Mr.  Smith  said  Peoria  at  the  time  of  his  visit  was 
a  large  town,  built  along  the  beach  of  the  lake,  with 
narrow,  unpaved  streets,  and  houses  constructed  of 
wood.  Back  of  the  town  were  gardens,  stock-yards, 
barns,  etc.,  and  among  these  was  a  wine-press,  with 
a  large  cellar  or  under-ground  vault  for  storing  wine. 
There  was  a  church  with  a  large  wooden  cross  raised 
above  the  roof,  and  with  gilt  lettering  over  the  door. 
There  was  an  unoccupied  fort  on  the  bank  of  the 
lake,  and  close  by  it  a  wind-mill  for  grinding  grain. 
The  town  contained  six  stores  or  places  of  trade,  all 
of  which  were  well  filled  with  goods  for  the  Indian 
market.  The  inhabitants  consisted  of  French,  half- 
breeds  and  Indians,  not  one  of  whom  could  under- 
stand or  speak  English. 
• 

FRENCH  INHABITANTS  OF  PEORIA. 

The  inhabitants  of  Peoria  consisted  principally  of 
French  emigrants  from  Canada,  many  of  whom 
were  traders,  hunters,  voyageurs  or  boatmen.  From 
that  happy  faculty  of  adapting  themselves  to  their 


FRENCH    INHABITANTS    OF    PEORIA.  223 

situation  for  which  the  French  people  are  so  remark- 
able they  lived  in  harmony  with  their  savage  neigh- 
bors for  three  succeeding  generations.  Being  far 
away  from  all  other  civilized  communities  they  made 
friends  and  associates  of  the  natives,  and  intermar- 
ried with  them,  consequently  their  prosperity  at  the 
present  time  shows  strong  marks  of  Indian  lineage. 
The  traders  were  men  of  education  and  energy,  but 
the  masses  being  illiterate,  possessed  but  little  prop- 
erty, and  less  enterprise,  enjoying  the  present  with- 
out regard  to  the  future.  They  were  a  contented, 
happy  people,  never  troubling  themselves  with  the 
affairs  of  government,  nor  indulging  in  political 
strifes,  but  cheerfully  obeying  the  priests  and  king's 
officer.  They  lived  in  a  fruitful  country,  which 
abounded  in  game,  where  the  necessaries  of  life 
could  be  obtained  with  but  little  labor,  and  having 
no  tax  or  tribute  to  pay  to  the  government  they  be- 
came indolent  and  spent  much  of  their  time  in  idle- 
ness. 

Those  engaged  in  merchandising  turned  their  at- 
tention almost  exclusively  to  the  traffic  with  the 
Indians,  adapting  themselves  to  their  customs  and 
habits,  and  many  of  them  seeking  alliance  in  mar- 
riage. The  boatmen  were  active  and  sprightly.  With 
all  the  vivacity  of  the  French  character  they  had  but 
little  of  the  intemperance  and  brutal  coarseness  usu- 


224  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

ally  found  among  boatmen  and  marines.  Their  boats 
were  small,  many  of  them  bark  canoes,  and  with 
skill  these  light  crafts  were  run  up  swift  currents, 
while  the  toil  of  the  oarsmen  was  enlivened  with 
songs  and  demonstrations  of  mirth.  As  hunters 
they  roamed  over  the  wide  plains  of  the  west  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  sharing  the  hospitality  of  the  na- 
tives, abiding  with  them  for  a  long  time,  and  in  some 
cases  permanently. 

The  French  citizens  of  Peoria  were  a  quiet,  peace- 
able people,  ignorant  and  superstitious,  and  much 
influenced  by  the. priests.  Having  no  public  schools 
but  few  of  them  except  the  priests  and  merchants 
could  read  or  write,  bttt  in  manners,  conversation 
and  refinement  they  compared  well  with  educated 
people.  Out  of  eighteen  claimants  for  the  land 
where  the  city  of  Peoria  now  stands  all  but  three 
signed  their  names  with  a  mark,  and  it  is  said  not  a. 
woman  among  them  could  read  or  write. 

Among  the  inhabitants  of  Peoria  were  merchants 
or  traders  who  made  annual  trips  to  Canada  in 
canoes,  carrying  thither  pelts  and  furs,  and  loaded 
back  with  goods  for  the  Indian  market.  They  were 
blacksmiths,  wagon-makers,  carpenters,  shoemakers, 
etc.,  and  most  of  the  implements  used  in  farming 
were  of  home  manufacture.  Although  isolated  from 
the  civilized  world,  and  surrounded  by  savages,  their 


FRENCH    COSTUMES    AND    MANNERS.          225 

standard  of  morality  was  high  ;  theft,  robbery  or 
murder  were  seldom  heard  of.  They  were  a  gay, 
happy  people,  having  many  social  parties,  wine  sup- 
pers, balls  and  public  festivals.  They  lived  in  har- 
mony with  the  Indians,  who  were  their  neighbors 
and  friends,  adopting  in  part  their  customs,  and  in 
trade  with  them  accumulated  most  of  their  wealth. 

FRENCH  COSTUMES  AND  MANNERS. 

The  dress  of  both  men  and  women  was  very 
plain,  made  of  coarse  material,  and  the  style  of  their 
wardrobe  was  partly  European  and  partly  Indian. 
The  men  seldom  wore  a  hat,  cap  or  coat,  their  heads 
being  covered  with  a  cotton  handkerchief,  folded  on 
the  crown  like  a  night-cap  or  an  Arabian  turban. 
Instead  of  a  coat  they  wore  a  loose  blanket  garment 
called  capote,  with  a  cap  of  the  same  material  hang- 
ing down  at  the  back  of  the  neck,  which  could  be 
drawn  over  the  head  as  a  protection  from  rain  or 
cold.  The  women  wore  loose  dresses,  made  mostly 
of  coarse  material,  their  heads  covered  with  a  hood 
or  blanket,  and  their  long  hair  hanging  down  their 
back  like  an  Indian  squaw.  But  these  women  were 
noted  for  sprightriness  in  conversation,  with  grace 
and  elegance  of  manners,  and  notwithstanding  the 
plainness  of  their  dress  many  of  them  were  not.  lack- 
ing in  personal  charms. 
12 


226  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Although  long  since  separated  from  civilized 
society  they  retain  much  of  the  refinement  and 
politeness  so  common  to  their  race ;  and  it  is  a 
remarkable  fact  that  the  roughest  hunter  or  boats- 
man  among  them  could  appear  in  a  ball-room  or 
at  a  gay  party  with  the  ease  and  grace  of  a  well- 
bred  gentleman. 

The  French  people  at  Peoria  being  isolated  from 
civilization  were  free  from  many  of  its  vices,  and 
appeared  to  be  perfectly  contented  with  their  manner 
of  living.  According  to  the  statements  of  their  nu- 
merous descendants  they  lived  a  life  of  alternate  toil 
and  pleasure,  with  much  gayety  and  innocent  amuse- 
ments, and  were  a  contented,  happy  people. 

FRENCH  LAND  CLAIMS. 

The  French  settled  at  Peoria  without  a  grant  or 
permission  from  any  government,  and  the  title  to 
the  land  was  derived  from  possession  only.  But 
these  titles  were  valid  according  to  usage,  as  well  as 
by  a  village  ordinance,  and  lands  were  bought  and 
sold  the  same  as  if  patented  by  government.  Each 
person  had  a  right  to  claim  any  portion  of  the  unoc- 
cupied land,  and  when  in  possession  his  title  was 
regarded  perfect,  and  could  be  bought  and  sold  the 
same  as  other  real  estate.  Each  citizen  had  a  vil- 
large  lot  for  a  garden  attached  to  his  residence,  and 


FEENCH    LAND    CLAIMS.  227 

if  a  farmer  a  portion  of  the  common  field.  On  the 
prairie  west  of  the  town  were  extensive  farms  all  en- 
closed in  one  field,  each  person  contributing  his 
share  of  fencing,  and  the  time  of  securing  the  crop 
and  pasturing  the  stocks  was  regulated  by  a  town  or- 
dinance. The  boundaries  of  these  farms  could  be 
traced  out  in  the  early  settlement  at  Peoria,  and  a 
large  tract  of  land  lying  between  the  river  and  bluff 
showed  marks  of  having  been  cultivated. 

When  the  French  settlement  commenced  at 
Peoria  the  country  belonged  to  France,  afterward  to 
Great  Britain,  and  lastly  to  the  United  States,  but 
these  changes  did  not  effect  the  people  in  any  way. 
"When  Illinois  came  under  the  British  rule,  in  1765, 
Captain  Stirling,  commanding,  at  Fort  Chartres,  sent 
messengers  to  Peoria  to  notify  the  people  that  they 
were  British  subjects.  In  1778,  when' Illinois  came 
under  United  States  authority,  they  were  again  noti- 
fied of  the  change  in  the  government,  but  they  still 
remained  French  in  feeling  and  sympathy.  They 
claimed  no  allegiance  to  any  government,  acknowl- 
edged no  law  except  their  own  village  ordinance, 
and  paid  no  tax  to  any  power.  While  these  people 
were  living  in  peace  and  harmony  (as  they  believed), 
with  all  the  world,  being  separated  nearly  two  hun- 
dred miles  from  civilization,  they  were  attacked  by 
an  armed  force,  their  dwellings  burned,  and  all  the 


228  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

heads  of  families  carried  off  prisoners  of  war,  as  will 
be  narrated  in  the  succeeding  chapter. 

In  1820  eighteen  persons,  heads  of  families,  filed 
papers  in  Edwardsville  land  office,  claiming  the  land 
on  which  the  city  of  Peoria  now  stands.  The  depo- 
sitions were  taken  by  the  register,  Edward  Coles, 
afterward  Governor  of  Illinois,  and  all  the  testimony 
relating  to  their  claims  is  now  on  file  among  the 
state  papers.  Coles  was  a  man  of  an  inquiring  turn 
of  mind,  fond  of  antique  history,  and  made  a  full  re- 
port of  the  testimony  to  the  land  department.  For 
many  'years  the  claimants  prosecuted  their  case  in 
the  different  courts,  and  at  last  succeeded  in  getting 
a  large  amount  of  money  from  the  occupants  of  the 
land. 


CHAPTEK  XIX. 

PIERRE  DE  BEURO,  AN  INDIAN  TRADER. 

IN  the  year  1776  a  young  Frenchman  named 
Pierre  de  Beuro,  of  Cahokia,  came  to  Peoria,  and 
for  a  time  clerked  in  a  trading-house.  Being  of  an 
enterprising  turn  of  mind,  and  understanding  the 
Indian  language,  he  concluded  to  visit  chiefs  whose 
acquaintance  he  formed  while  at  Peoria.  While  on 
these  visits  he  married  a  daughter  of  a  noted  chief, 
who  had  a  village  near  the  mouth  of  Fox  River,  and 
concluded  to  establish  a  trading-post  in  the  midst  of 
the  Indian  country.  After  getting  a  promise  of  pat- 
ronage of  all  the  neighboring  villages  he  went  to 
Cahokia,  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  to  go 
into  business. 

Below  the  mouth  of  Bureau  Creek  is  an  elevated 
piece  of  land,  covered  with  timber,  and  known  as 
Hickory  Ridge.  This  place  became  a  noted  land- 
mark among  the  French  and  Indians,  and  lias  been 
the  scene  of  a  number  of  traditionary  incidents.  It 
also  became  a  place  of  note  in  the  early  settlement 


230  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

of  the  country,  and  during  liigh  water  a  landing  for 
the  Hennepin  ierry-boat.  Here  on  this  ridge,  ele- 
vated abovet  the  floods  of  the  river,  De  Beuro  built  a 
double  log-cabin,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  a  large 
fur  trade.  Being  patronized  by  all  the  surrounding 
village  he  had  a  large  trade,  sending  his  furs  to  Ca- 
hokia  and  receiving  goods  in  return.  Antoine  des 
Champs  said  that  every  spring  for  a  number  of  years 
canoes  loaded  with  furs  and  buffalo  robes  passed 
Peoria  from  this  trading-house.  The  traders  at 
Peoria  became  unfriendly  toward  De  Beuro,  as  he 
injured  their  business,  and  offered  to  buy  him  out, 
but  he  refused  to  sell  to  them. 

In  the  spring  of  1790  De  Beuro,  according  to  cus- 
tom, sent  three  canoes  loaded  with  furs  to  Cahokia, 
in  charge  of  his  clerk  and  two  Indians.  The  trader 
accompanied  the  canoes  down  the  river  about  twenty 
miles  to  an  Indian  village,  and  from  here  left  for 
home  on  foot,  but  never  reached  it.  Search  being 
made  for  the  missing  trader,  his  remains  were  found 
some  days  afterward,  where  he  had  been  murdered 
and  partly  devoured  by  wolves.  Report  says  a 
trader  at  Peoria,  whose  descendants  are  now  living 
near  East  St.  Louis,  employed  a  half-breed  to  assas- 
sinate De  Beuro,  and  thereby  break  up  the  rival 
trading-post.  A  large  number  of  warriors  went  to 
Peoria  and  demanded  the  supposed  murderer,  threat- 


TECUMSEH    AT   PEORIA.  281 

ening  to  burn  the  town  if  not  given  up,  but  on  being 
convinced  that  the  murderer  had  fled  they  left  for 
their  homes.  • 

When  the  clerk  learned  that  De  Beuro  was  dead 
he  appropriated  the  proceeds  of  the  furs  to  his  own 
account,  and  his  wife  put  the  goods  in  canoes  and 
took  them  to  her  father's  village.* 

TECUMSEH  AT  PEORIA. 

Tecumseh  after  meeting  General  Harrison  in 
council  at  Vincennes,  in  August,  1810,  came  west  for 
the  purpose  of  enlisting  the  different  tribes  in  a  war 
against  the  frontier  settlements.  Pie  made  an  ex- 
tensive tour  in  the  western  country,  going  as  far 
north  as  Green  Bay,  and  south  through  Missouri  and 
Arkansas,  and  in  the  following  year  traveled  among 
the  Creeks  and  Chickasaws  in  the  southern  states. 
While  traveling  through  the  country  he  visited 
Peoria,  and  was  the  guest  of  Francis  Racine,  an  old 
acquaintance  of  his,  who  had  traded  with  his  band 
on  the  Wabash  for  many  years.  Tecumseh  was  ac- 
companied by  three  chiefs,  all  dressed  in  white  buck- 
skin, with  eagle  feathers  in  their  head-dress,  and 
mounted  on  spirited  black  ponies.  The  visitors 
made  a  short  stay  at  Peoria.  On  learning  that  the 

*  A  few  years  ago  David  Miller  cut  the  timber  off  Hickory  Ridge,  and  put 
the  land  under  cultivation.  Where  De  Beuro's  trading-house  stood  many 
relics  of  civilization,  such  as  pieces  of  dishes,  glass-ware,  etc.,  were  plowed  up 
in  cultivating  the  ground. 


232  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

French  disapproved  of  their  plans,  and  not  wishing 
to  offend  them,  they  left  without  having  a  talk  with 
the  Indians  who  were  encamped  near.the  town.  At 
Gomo's  village  the  travelers  were  met  by  a  large 
number  of  warriors,  many  of  whom  had  come  from 
neighboring  villages  to  listen  to  Tecumseh's  stirring 
eloquence  in  behalf  of  his  great  scheme  of  uniting 
all  the  tribes  of  the  west  and  driving  the  palefaces 
out  of  the  country. 

Gomo,  Black  Partridge,  Senachwine  and  Comas 
were  visited  by  Tecumseh  and  his  friends,  but  they 
all  refused  to  accede  to  his  plans,  preferring  to  re- 
main at  peace. 

INDIAN  DEPREDATIONS. 

In  the  summer  of  1810  a  party  of  Indians  belong- 
ing on  the  Illinois  River  stole  a  number  of  horses 
from  the  settlers,  who  pursued  the  thieves  for  two 
days.  At  night  while  the  settlers  were  asleep  around 
a  camp-fire  the  Indians  returned  and  fired  on  them, 
killing  three  and  wounding  two  others.  The  author- 
ities made  a  demand  on  the  Indians  for  these  mur- 
derers, but  no  attention  was  paid  to  it.  In  the  fol- 
lowing summer  Governor  Edwards  sent  Captain 
Samuel  Levering,  with  a  company  of  men,  in  a  keel- 
boat  to  Peoria  with  instructions  to  make  a  formal 
demand  of  the  Indians  for  a  surrender  of  these  mur- 


INDIAN    DEPREDATIONS.  233 

derers.  Captain  Levering  and  his  comrades  were 
French  (some  of  them  half-breeds),  understanding 
the  Indian  language,  and  between  whom  a  friendly 
relation  existed,  even  in  the  time  of  war.  On  aniv- 
ing  at  Peoria  the  visitors  were  cordially  received  by 
both  French  and  Indians,  who  prepared  a  feast  for 
them,  with  a  ball  in  the  evening.  Some  of  the 
guests  were  fascinated  with  Indian  maidens,  two  of 
whom  took  wives  home  with  them. 

Joseph  Trotier,  of  Cahokia,  accompanied  by  two 
half-breeds,  ascended  the  river  in  a  canoe  to  the 
great  bend,  stopping  at  all  the  Indian  villages  on 
their  route,  and  from  the  chiefs  and  warriors  re- 
ceived many  pledges  of  peace  and  friendship.  This 
party  visited  the  village  of  Wappa,  on  Bureau  Creek, 
and  the  head  chief,  Comas,  sent  as  a  present  to  Gov- 
ernor Edwards  a  large  pair  of  elk  horns,  also  a  pair 
of  dressed  bear  and'panther'skins,  all  of  which  were 
taken  with  his  own  hands.  Trotier  made  arrange- 
ments with  the  chiefs  and  principal  warriors  to  meet 
in  council  at  Peoria  on  the  following  week  and  hear 
the  message  sent  them  by  the  governor  read. 

At  the  time  appointed  the  Indians  came  to  Peoria, 
heard  the  governor's  message  read,  and  a  speech 
made  to  them  by  Captain  Levering.  The  message 
and  speech  was  replied  to  by  talks  from  a  number  of 
chiefs,  in  which  they  pledged  themselves  to  use  all 


234  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

proper  means  to  capture  the  murderers  and  deliver 
them  up  to  the  authorities  for  punishment.  Captain 
Levering  after  performing  his  mission,  with  his  com- 
rades, returned  to  the  settlement,  carrying  thither 
many  presents  from  the  chiefs  to  Governor  Edwards, 
together  with  their  pledges  of  friendship  and  good 
will. 

Captain  Levering  while  at  Peoria  delivered  a 
commission,  signed  by  the  governor,  to  Thomas  For- 
syth  as  justice  of  the  peace,  also  one  to  John  Bap- 
tiste  Dufond  as  captain  of  militia.  These  commis- 
sions bear  date  August  8,  1811,  and  both  of  these 
papers  are  now  in  the  hands  of  descendants  of  the 
parties. 

General  William  Clark,  of  St.  Louis,  was  general 
Indian  agent  for  the  western  country,  but  Governor 
Edwards  acted  also  as  sub-agent  within  the  territory 
of  Illinois. 

INDIAN  COUNCIL  AT  CAHOKIA. 

During  the  winter  of  1811  and  1812  the  Indians 
on  the  Illinois  River  heard  through  a  half-breed  who 
carne  from  the  settlement  that  preparations  were 
being  made  to  send  an  army  against  them  in  the 
spring  unless  the  murderers  were  given  up.  On 
learning  of  these  facts  they  became  very  much 
alarmed,  and  some  of  the  chiefs  went  to  Peoria  to 


INDIAN    COUNCIL    AT    CAHOKIA.  235 

consult  with  their  friends,  and  procure  their  assist- 
ance in  averting  the  evil  which  threatened  them. 
In  their  behalf  Captain  Maillet  consented  to  go  and 
see  the  governor,  and  inform  him  that  the  murderers 
had  fled  from  the  country  and  could  not  be  delivered 
up,  but  the  Indians  proposed  to  furnish  a  like  num- 
ber of  young  braves  to  be  executed  in  their  stead. 

On  arriving  at  Kaskaskia  Captain  Maillet  laid 
the  case  before  the  governor,  who  authorized  him 
to  assure  the  chiefs  that  the  matter  of  peace  or  war 
depended  entirely  upon  their  own  acts. 

In  the  following  March  Governor  Edwards  sent 
Captain  Hebert  on  a  mission  among  these  Indians, 
requesting  them  to  meet  him  in  council  at  Cahokia. 
Captain  Hebert  was  also  instructed  to  notify  all  the 
traders  at  Peoria  to  close  their  stores, —  giving  up 
all  trade  with  the  Indians  until  this  trouble  was  set- 
tled. The  traders  were  informed  unless  they  com- 
plied with  the  governor's  demands  they  need  not 
expect  any  indulgence  from  the  government  in  case 
of  war,  but  they  paid  no  attention  to  this  order. 

Captain  Hebert  collected  many  of  the  principal 
chiefs  and  brought  them  with  him  to  Cahokia,  where 
the  governor  by  agreement  met  them  in  council. 
This  council  was  held  on  the  16th  of  April,  1812,  in 
a  little  grove  of  timber  on  the  bank  of  Cahokia  Creek, 
above  the  town,  and  ai  tended  by  a  large  number  of 


236  PIONEEES    OF   ILLINOIS. 

citizens.*  Speeches  were  made  by  different  chiefs 
in  reply  to  the  governor's  address,  and  with  new 
pledges  of  friendship  the  Indians  were  dismissed 
with  many  presents.  After  this  council  for  a  time 
confidence  between  the  white  and  red  man  appeared 
to  have  been  restored,  but  this  was  of  short  dura- 
tion. An  evil-disposed  person  circulated  false  re- 
ports about  the  Indians  making  preparations  for  war, 
and  the  settlers  were  very  much  alarmed. 

In  reading  the  many  letters  written  by  Governor 
Edwards  to  the  secretary  of  war  a  person  would  be- 
lieve that  war  with  the  Indians  was  inevitable,  but 
the  facts  in  the  case  do  not  warrant  this  conclusion. 
During  the  summer  of  1812  forts  were  built,  militia 
kept  under  arms,  and  the  general  government  called 
on  for  troops  to  defend  the  territory.  Rumors  were 
circulated  that  a  large  body  of  Indian  warriors  were 
collected  near  Peoria,  armed,  and  painted  for  war, 
and  it  was  believed  that  they  intended  to  descend 
the  river  in  canoes  to  make  a  raid  on  the  settlement. 

*  While  on  a  recent  visit  to  Cahokia  the  place  where  this  council  assembled 
was  pointed  out  to  me  by  an  old  man  who  attended  it.  Although  a  boy  of 
only  twelve  years  of  age  at  that  time  he  recollects  the  appearance  of  tome  of  the 
chiefs,  and.  understanding  the  Indian  language,  can  repeat  parts  of  their 
speeches.  Gomo,  Senachwine  and  Black  Partridge  were  the  principal  orators, 
and  their  eloquence  and  commanding  appearance  made  a  lasting  impression 
upon  his  then  youthful  mind. 

In  this  grove  where  the  council  was  held  is  an  old  burr-oak  tree  by  the 
creek  bank  which  marks  the  spot  where  a  number  of  incidents  occurred  in 
early  times.  At  the  root  of  this  tree,  tradition  says.  Pontiac  (or  the  Indian 
who  passed  for  such)  was  sitting  when  a  drunken  Indian  came  up  behind  him 
and  split  his  head  open  with  his  tomahawk. 


INDIAN    COUNCIL    AT    CAHOKIA.  237 

To  prevent  a  surprise  from  these  savages  Captain 
Whitesides,  with  a  company  of  volunteers,  in  a  heavy 
planked  gunboat,  lay  for  three  months  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois  River  to  prevent  the  Indians 
from  descending  it  to  attack  the  settlements.  While 
these  preparations  for  war  were  continued  by  the 
authorities  of  the  territory  the  Indians  were  quietly 
pursuing  their  hunting,  making  no  provision  for 
either  an  attack  or  defense,  and  when  troops  marched 
against  them  they  were  taken  by  surprise. 

From  what  is  now  known  of  these  affairs  it  ap- 
pears evident  that  Governor  Edward.s  was  imposed 
upon  by  unscrupulous  men,  who  made  false  reports 
with  regard  to  the  Indians.  The  governor  employed 
a  man  named  John  Hays  to  examine  into  Indian  af- 
fairs to  ascertain  the  number  of  bands,  the  name  and 
location  of  villages,  with  their  inhabitants,  etc. 
These  reports  made  by  Hays  were  false  in  almost 
every  particular,  and,  to  make  the  matter  worse,  the 
governor  copied  these  reports  in  his  letters  to  the 
secretary  of  war,  and  therefore  became  a  part  of  the 
state  papers.  While  Governor  Edwards  was  a  man 
of  ability,  and  made  a  good  executive  officer,  so  far 
as  relates  to  his  duties  as  governor  of  the  territory, 
yet  as  an  Indian  agent  he  proved  himself  a  failure, 
having  become  the  dupe  of  designing  men.  I  have 
talked  with  many  of  the  French  residents  of  Peoria 


238  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

and  their  descendants,  also  with  Indians  who  were 
born  and  raised  in  villages  along  the  Illinois  River, 
and  know  whereof  I  write. 

ILLINOIS  TERRITORY  AT  THE  TIME  OF  THE 
BRITISH  WAR. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  late  British  war 
there  was  within  the  limits  of  the  Illinois  territory 
less  than  twelve  thousand  people,  a  large  portion  of 
whom  were  native  French  citizens  and  emigrants 
from  Kentucky.  The  settlement  extended  along  the 
Mississippi  River  for  about  sixty  miles,  from  the 
mouth  of  Kaskaskia  River  to  a  station  opposite  Col- 
umbia, eight  miles  below  Alton.  There  was  a  set- 
tlement on  the  Ohio  River  at  Shawneetown,  also  one 
at  Saline,  or  United  States  Salt  Works,  protected  by 
a  rude  fortification  and  a  few  soldiers.  The  extreme 
south  part  of  this  state  was  an  unbroken  wilderness, 
a  hunting-ground  for  Indians,  while  the  central  and 
northern  portion  belonged  to  the  natives.  With  the 
exception  of  the  country  along  the  Illinois  River, 
and  shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  the  prairies  of  this 
state  had  never  been  explored  by  white  people  to 
any  great  extent. 

There  were  but  two  counties  organized,  Randolph 
and  St.  Glair,  and  all  the  country  in  the  northern 
portion  of  the  state,  including  Wisconsin,  was  under 


A    FALSE    REPORT    CIRCULATED.  23D 

the  jurisdiction  of  the  latter.  Summonses  and  writs 
were  issued  from  the  circuit  court  at  Cahokia,  the 
seat  of  justice  for  St.  Clair  county,  against  persons 
at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  in  one  case  property  was 
sold  there  under  an  execution  issued  from  that  court. 
The  citizens  of  Peoria,  however,  would  not  admit 
that  they  were  under  the  jurisdiction  of  St.  Clair 
county,  claiming  to  be  free  and  independent  of  all 
foreign  power,  and  the  sheriff  could  not  enforce  de- 
mands against  them. 

A  FALSE  REPORT  CIRCULATED. 

In  the  summer  of  1812  a  vagabond  named  Elijah 
Bruce,  having  committed  a  lawless  act,  was  driven 
from  Peoria,  and  found  a  refuge  at  Kaskaskia. 
Bruce  had  been  a  resident  of  Peoria  for  a  number  of 
years,  acquainted  with  all  its  principal  citizens,  and, 
to  retaliate  on  his  enemies  for  driving  him  away, 
circulated  an  evil  report  about  them.  He  said  the 
French  at  Peoria  were  assisting  the  Indians  to  make 
war  on  the  settlements,  that  two  military  men  were 
engaged  in  teaching  them  war  tactics,  and  preparing 
them  to  take  the  field.  He  also  said  the  British  in 
Canada  had  furnished  the  traders  witli  rifles,  powder, 
tomahawks,  knives  etc.,  which  were  distributed 
among  the  Indians  free  of  charge  ;  that  Captain  J.  B. 
Maillot  had  stolen  cattle  from  Wood  River  settle- 


240  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

ment  to  feed  warriors  who  were  collected  at  Gomo's 
village.  He  further  said  the  day  before  he  left 
Peoria  Francis  Racine,  a  trader,  came  through  from 
the  Sac  village  on  the  Mississippi  with  five  pack- 
horses  loaded  with  lead  to  supply  the  warriors. 

Bruce  w.as  an  Irishman  by  birth,  a  man  of  educa- 
tion and  general  intelligence,  a  good  talker,  and  his 
story  was  believed  by  people  generally.  But  it  was 
afterward  proven  that  these  stories  were  false  in 
every  particular,  and  without  any  foundation  in  fact 
so  far  as  assisting  the  Indians  in  making  war  on  the 
settlement  is  concerned.  It  is  true  the  traders  at 
Peoria  for  many  years  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
bringing  from  Canada  various  kinds  of  goods,  includ- 
ing arms,  to  supply  the  Indian  market,  and  also 
packed  lead  on  horses  from  the  Sac  village,  but  this 
was  done  in  accordance  with  their  legitimate  trade. 
The  story  about  Captain  Maillet  stealing  cattle  orig- 
inated from  the  fact  of  his  bringing  a  stray  drove  back 
to  Peoria  that  had  wandered  away  down  south.  The 
cattle  being  crossed  with  buffalo  were  inclined  to 
ramble,  and  during  the  hard  winter  a  herd  belong- 
ing to  the  people  of  Peoria  strayed  off  southward. 
In  the  spring  these  cattle  were  found  on  Mackinaw 
River  by  Captain  Maillet,  and  driven  back  to  Peoria,  as 
previously  stated.  Instead  of  Captain  Maillet  being 
a  cattle  thief,  as  alleged  by  the  vagabond  Bruce,  at 


A    FALSE    REPORT    CIRCULATED.  241 

the  close  of  the  war  he  was  rewarded  by  an  act  of 
Congress  for  his  loyalty  to  the  government. 

The  evil  reports  circulated  by  Bruce  are  said  to 
have  been  confirmed  by  another  person  from  Peoria, 
and  by  this  means  a  great  panic  was  created  among 
the  frontier  settlers.  Some  of  them  fled  from  the 
country,  while  others  abandoned  farm  labor,  and  be- 
gan building  forts  to  protect  themselves  from  threat- 
ened hostilities.  Governor  Edwards  believed  these 
rumors,  as  may  be  inferred  by  his  letter  to  the  secre- 
tary of  war,  dated  August  4,  1812,  in  which  he  says  : 
"No  troops  have  arrived  in  the  territory  yet,  and  I 
think  you  may  count  on  hearing  of  a  bloody  strike  on 
us  soon.  I  have  been  extremely  reluctant  to  send 
my  family  away,  but  unless  assistance  comes  soon  I 
shall  bury  my  papers  in  the  ground,  send  off  my 
family,  and  stand  my  ground  as  long  as  possible." 

The  inhabitants  of  Peoria  claimed  to  be  foreign- 
ers, owing  no  allegiance  to  the  government,  but  by 
a  treaty  between  France  and  this  country,  made 
some  years  before,  all  French  residents  of  Illinois 
became  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  to  assist 
the  Indians  in  making  war  on  the  settlers  was  trea- 
son. Governor  Edwards,  believing  the  common 
reports,  issued  a  proclamation  calling  for  volunteers 
to  march  against  the  Indians  along  the  Illinois  River, 

and  their  allies,  the  treacherous  French  at  Peoria. 
16 


CHAPTER  XX. 


BLACK  PARTRIDGE,  A  NOTED    INDIAN    CHIEF. 


noted  chief,  whose  Indian  name  was  Muck- 
-L  oteypokee,  had  a  village  at  the  foot  of  the 
bluff  on  the  south  side  of  the  Illinois  River  opposite 
the  head  of  Peoria  Lake.  Here  he  lived  and  here 
he  died,  and  in  the  early  settlement  of  that  section 
of  the  country  his  grave  was  pointed  out  to  strangers. 
Persons  are  now  living  who  knew  this  chief  very 
well,  and  from  whom  I  obtained  a  description  of  his 
person,  and  many  incidents  relating  to  his  life  and 
character. 

Black  Partridge  was  tall  and  slim,  with  a  high 
forehead,  a  large  nose,  a  sharp  visage,  and  piercing 
black  eyes.  His  appearance  was  fine,  his  form 
'erect,  and  his  figure  commanding,  so  a  stranger 
could  see  at  a  glance  that  he  was  no  ordinarj7-  Indian. 
The  long,  coarse  hair,  once  as  black  as  a  raven,  but  of 
later  years  mixed  with  gray,  hung  in  matted  clusters 
around  his  shoulders.  On  his  breast  he  wore  a  sil- 
ver medal  on  which  was  stamped  a  medallion  head 


THE    FIRST   TIDINGS    OF    WAR.  243 

of  General  Washington,  and   in   his  nose   and  ears 
wore  large  gold  rings. 

In  the  border  wars  of  the  west  Black  Partridge 
took  a  part,  and  with  his  braves  fought  against  the 
whites.  In  1795  he  attended  and  signed  the  treaty 
at  Greenville,  and  received  from  the  hand  of  Gen- 
eral Wayne  the  medal  referred  to.  This  medal 
as  an  insignia  of  peace  and  friendship  was  carried 
ajbout  his  person  for  seventeen  years,  and  he  sur- 
rendered it  to  Captain  Heald,  commander  of  Fort 
Dearborn,  on  the  evening  of  August  14,  1812,  the 
day  before  the  troops  were  massacred,  as  will  be 
hereafter  narrated. 

INDIANS  RECEIVING   THE  FIRST  TIDINGS   OF  WAR. 

In  the  summer  of  1812  emissaries  from  the  Wa- 
bash,  said  to  have  been  sent  by  Tecumseh,  visited 
the  villages  along  the  Illinois  River,  bringing  with 
them  the  startling  intelligence  that  war  had  been 
declared  between  England  and  the  United  States. 
These  emissaries  explained  to  the  chiefs  and  war- 
riors who  had  met  in  council  at  Gomo's  village  that 
the  British  offered  a  large  amount  of  gold  to  each 
warrior  that  joined  their  standard.  They  also 
pointed  out  to  them  the  great  importance  of  captur- 
ing Fort  Dearborn  before  the  troops  garrisoned  there 
obtained  intelligence  of  the  declaration  of  war.  The 


244  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

war-whoop  was  raised  by  many  of  the  young  braves 
belonging  to  different  villages,  and  on  the  next  day 
they  left  for  Chicago  with  the  intention  of  attacking 
the  fort.  Black  Partridge  having  failed  in  prevent- 
ing these  young  bloods  from  going  to  Chicago 
mounted  his  pony  and  followed  them. 

On  arriving  at  Chicago  Black  Partridge  went  to 
see  his  old  friend  John  Kinzie,  and  after  a  cordial 
greeting  he  said  to  him,  "My  heart  is  sad;  evil 
muses  have  been  singing  in  my  ears  all  day  long, — 
telling  me  the  friendship  which  for  many  years  has 
existed  between  us  is  about  to  be  severed."  For  a 
number  of  years  the  old  chief  had  been  acquainted 
with  John  Kinzie  and  his  family,  having  been  a  fre- 
quent guest  at  his  house,  ate  at  his  table,  and  trotted 
the  little  ones  on  his  knee.  Believing  that  his 
friends  were  about  to  be  slain  filled  his  heart  with 
sadness,  and  while  expressing  his  fears  he  could  not 
restrain  his  emotions,  but  frequently  gave  way  to 
floods  of  tears. 

On  the  day  before  the  evacuation  of  Fort  Dear- 
born the  chiefs  and  principal  warriors  met  in  coun- 
cil, and  at  this  council  it  was  decided  to  massacre 
the  troops  on  leaving  the  fort.  In  this  council  the 
voice  of  Black  Partridge  was  heard  for  peace,  but  the 
war  policy  prevailed,  and  with  a  sorrowful  heart 
this  true  friend  of  the  whites  returned  to  his  camp, 


MKS.  HELM'S  LIFE  SAVED.  245 

knowing  that  the  morrow  would  be  a  day  of  blood 
and  carnage. 

On  the  evening  before  the  Chicago  massacre 
Black  Partridge  entered  the  quarters  of  Captain 
Heald,  the  commanding  ojficer  of  Fort  Dearborn, 
and,  after  a  friendly  greeting,  said  to  him,  "  I  have 
come  here  to  deliver  up  to  you  this  medal  which 
was  given  to  me  by  General  Wayne  as  a  token  of 
friendship.  For  many  years  I  have  worn  this  medal 
on  my  breast,  and  it  is  with  a  sorrowful  heart  I  now 
part  with  it,  but  our  young  braves  are  resolved  on 
imbruing  their  hands  in  human  blood.  I  cannot 
restrain  them,  and  I  will  not  wear  an  emblem  of 
friendship  while  I  am  compelled  to  act  as  an  en- 
emy." 

MRS.   HELM'S   LIFE   SAVED   BY  BLACK    PARTRIDGE. 

In  Mrs.  Kinzie's  account  of  the  Chicago  massacre 
an  incident  is  related  of  Black  Partridge  saving  the 
life  of  Mrs.  Helm,  wife  of  Lieutenant  Helm,  and  step- 
daughter of  John  Kinzie.  This  story  equals,  if  not 
surpasses,  the  most  extravagant  nights  of  romance, 
but  its  truth  is  confirmed  by  a  person  now  living, 
Mrs.  Besson,  who  was  present  at  the  time,  and  from 
whom  I  obtained  in  part  the  following  narrative: 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th  of  August,  1812,  the 
sun  rose  with  unusual  splendor,  and  its  golden  rays 


246  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

reflected  from  the  smooth  waters  of  Lake  Michigan, 
but  many  of  the  inmates  of  Fort  Dearborn  who 
looked  upon  this  enchanting  scenery  did  not  live  to 
see  it  set  beneath  the  western  horizon.  At  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning  the  troops  left  the  fort,  march- 
ing in  military  array,  with  martial  music,  and  flags 
waving  in  the  morning  breeze.  Captain  Wells,  hav- 
ing his  face  blackened  after  the  manner  of  the  In- 
dians, with  his  Miami  warriors  mounted  on  ponies, 
led  the  van.  The  troops  on  foot  followed,  and  next 
to  them  were  the  baggage  wagons,  containing  the 
sick,  with  women  and  children,  while  the  Pottawa- 
tomies,  five  hundred  in  number,  followed  in  the 
rear.  This  caravan  took  the  road  along  the  beach ^ 
of  the  lake,  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  to  a  range  of 
sand  knolls.*  Here  the  Indians  left  the  road  and 
took  to  the  prairie,  when  Captain  Wells,  with  his 
horse  on  a  gallop,  came  back  and  told  the  troops  to 
form  for  battle,  as  they  were  about  to  be  attacked. 
Soon  the  battle  commenced,  the  soldiers  defending 
themselves  bravely,  selling  their  lives  as  dearly  as 
possible,  but  many  of  them  fell  by  the  overpowering 
enemy.  Mrs.  Helm,  at  that  time  only  seventeen 
years  of  age,  having  been  thrown  from  her  horse  at 
the  commencement  of  the  battle  stood  spell-bound 

*  This  range  of  sand  knolls  was  where  Twelfth  street  strikes  the  lake,  and 
was  a  noted  landmark  forty  years  ago,  but  has  been  graded  down  in  making 
the  street. 


MRS.  HELM'S  LIFE  SAVED.  247 

looking  on  at  the  scene  of  blood  and  carnage  around , 
her.  Her  father  and  husband  were  engaged  in  the 
fearful  strife,  and  she  expected  every  moment  to  see 
them  fall  by  the  hand  of  murderous  savages.  As 
she  stood  awaiting  her  own  fate  a  warrior  with  an 
uplifted  tomahawk  approached  her,  but  dodging  to 
one  side  the  blow  intended  for  the  head  took  eifect 
on  the  shoulder,  producing  a  ghastly  wound.  She 
caught  the  savage  around  the  neck  and  tried  to  get 
possession  of  his  scalping-knife,  which  hung  in  a 
scabbard  on  his  breast,  but  he  threw  her  to  one  side, 
and  was  about  to  use  his  tomahawk  on  her  head 
when  she  was  caught  in  the  arms  of  another  Indian, 
.who  bore  her  off  struggling  into  the  lake.  Here  she 
was  plunged  under  water,  but  her  head  frequently 
raised,  so  she  soon  discovered  that  the  Indian  did 
not  intend  to  drown  her.  On  looking  into  the  face 
of  the  captor,  although  disguised  with  paint,  she 
recognized  Black  Partridge,  the  well-known,  trusty 
friend  of  her  father's  family.  When  the  battle  was 
over  her  protector  conveyed  his  charge  to  the  Indian 
camp  and  delivered  her  over  to  a  friendly  squaw, 
who  dressed  her  wounds. 

The  night  after  the  massacre  a  large  body  of  hos- 
tile savages  surrounded  John  Kinzie's  dwelling  with 
the  intention  of  murdering  the  inmates,  but  by  the 
timely  interference  of  Black  Partridge,  assisted  by 


248  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Shaubona  and  Sauganash,  the  would-be  murderers 
were  prevailed  on  to  leave  the  house  without  ac- 
complishing their  bloody  purposes,  and  thereby  the 
lives  of  the  family  were  saved.  * 

EMISSARIES  FROM  TECUMSEH. 

About  the  first  of  October,  1812,  two  emissaries 
from  Tecumseh,  one  of  whom  was  a  half-breed  and 
the  other  a  petty  chief,  came  to  Peoria  for  the  pur- 
pose of  enlisting  warriors  to  take  part  in  the  impend- 
ing conflict.  A  large  body  of  Indians  were  encamped 
by  the  town,  and  they  made  an  effort  to  induce  the 
warriors  to  become  allies  of  Tecumseh,  and  make 
war  on  the  frontier  settlements.  They  carried  with 
them  a  quantity  of  worthless  trinkets  which  they 
offered  to  those  who  would  enlist,  with  a  promise  of 
a  large  amount  of  British  gold  on  reaching  the 
Wabash.  Some  of  the  young  braves  were  in  favor  of 
going  to  war,  also  a  few  worthless  half-breeds,  who 
were  too  lazy  to  either  work  or  hunt,  imbibed  the 
war  spirit. 

When  the  true  mission  of  these  visitors  was  made 
known  to  the  citizens  of  Peoria  they  became  very 
indignant,  and  decided  to  drive  them  out  of  town. 
Thomas  Forsyth,  Captain  Maillet,  with  others,  went 
to  these  emissaries  and  notified  them  to  leave  town 

*  Memories  of  Shaubona,  page  23. 


UNJUST    RETRIBUTION.  249 

immediately,  and  if  found  there  next  day  they  would 
be  arrested  and  put  in  prison.  On  being  notified  to 
leave,  the  recruiting  party  departed  for  other  fields  of 
labor,  and  the  war  spirit  engendered  by  them  soon 
died  out. 

These  emissaries  visited  the  homes  of  Gomo, 
Black  Partridge,  and  other  villages  along  the  river, 
but  met  with  no  success.  A  messenger  was  sent 
from  Peoria  by  Thomas  Forsyth  to  all  the  neighbor- 
ing villages,  notifying  the  warriors' of  the  intrigues 
of  these  visitors,  and  by  this  means  their  mission 
proved  a  failure. 

UNJUST  RETRIBUTION. 

When  emissaries  sent  by  Tecumseh  visited  the 
different  villages  along  the  Illinois  River,  soliciting 
the  chiefs  to  take  part  in  the  war,  not  one  of  them 
would  have  anything  to  do  with  it.  Gomo  and 
Black  Partridge  drove  these  agents,  who  were  trying 
to  enlist  young  warriors,  away  from  their  villages, 
and  threatened  them  with  death  if  they  returned 
again.  It  is  true  some  of  the  young  braves  took 
part  in  the  Chicago  massacre  a  few  months  before, 
but  this  was  done  contrary  to  the  wish  and  command 
of  the  chiefs.  The  Indians  having  refused  to  take 
part  in  the  war  considered  themselves  at  peace  with 
all  the  world,  and  continued  in  their  usual  manner 


250  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

of  living,  spending  their  time  in  hunting,  fishing,  and 
with  various  kinds  of  amusements.  While  thus  en- 
gaged in  their  daily  avocations,  unconscious  of  dan- 
ger, an  armed  force  was  sent  against  them,  as  alleged, 
in  retribution  for  past  offenses. 

In  October,  1812,  an  army  of  two  thousand  Ken- 
t'ucky  volunteers,  commanded  by  General  Hopkins, 
marched  from  Fort  Harrison,  on  the  Wabash,  for 
the  purpose  of  attacking  the  Indians  along  the  Illi- 
nois River.  This  army,  after  two  days'  march,  be- 
came frightened  on  seeing  the  prairie  on  fire,  the 
soldiers  mutinied,  and  refused  to  go  further  through 
a  country  full  of  fire  and  Indians,  consequently  they 
returned  'to  Fort  Harrison.  About  this  time  Gov- 
ernor Edwards  with  four  hundred  mounted  rangers, 
commanded  by  Colonel  Russell,  marched  to  Peoria 
Lake,  with  the  intention  of  joining  Hopkins'  army, 
but  failing  to  find  the  army  in  the  enemy's  country, 
as  they,  expected,  they  attacked  and  destroyed  Black 
Partridge's  village,  killing  about  thirty  Indians  with- 
out losing  a  man.  After  burning  the  village  the 
rangers  with  all  haste  returned  to  the  settlement,  as 
they  were  in  an  Indian  country  where  a  lar^e  num- 
ber of  warriors  could  be  raised  on  short  notice. 


BLACK  PARTRIDGE'S  VILLAGE  DESTROYED.  251 

DESTRUCTION  OF  BLACK  PARTRIDGE'S  VILLAGE. 

The  following  account  of  destroying  Black  Par- 
tridge's village  is  compiled  from  statement  made  to 
me  many  years  ago  by  the  "  Old  Ranger,  "  General 
Samuel  Whitesides,  who  was  captain  of  a  company 
in  Governor  Edwards'  army,  and  well  acquainted 
with  all  the  facts. 

The  army,  piloted  by  a  half-breed,  followed 
along  the  east  side  of  Peoria  Lake  through  the  thick 
timber  until  they  came  within  four  miles  of  the  vil- 
lage, and  without  a  fire  encamped  here  for  the  night. 
Early  next  morning  Governor  Edwards  sent  forward 
four  young  men,  Thomas  Carlin,  afterward  Governor 
of  Illinois,  with  three  of  the  Whitesides,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  reconnoitering,  and  this  party  found  every- 
thing quiet  at  the  Indian  village.  On  the  return  of 
the  scouts  the  troops  were  ordered  forward  in  all 
haste  to  attack  the  enemy  before  they  became  aware 
of  their  presence,  Captain  Judy's  company  of  spies 
leading  the  van,  and  having  proceeded  but  a  short 
distance  when  they  suddenly  came  upon  two  Indi- 
ans on  horseback  who  raised  their  hands  in  token  of 
submission.  Captain  Judy  brought  his  rifle  to  his 
shoulder  to  fire  on  them,  when  some  of  the  'men 
begged  for  mercy,  to  which  the  captain  replied  he 
"did  not  leave  home  to  take  prisoners,"  and  instantly 


252  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

the  dust  was  seen  to  rise  from  the  Indian's  buck- 
skin hunting  shirt  as  the  ball  entered  his  body.  The 
Indian  fell  from  his  horse  with  blood  streaming  from 
his  mouth  and  nose,  and  in  this  condition  commenced 
singing  his  death  song.  The  rangers  rode  up  to  the 
dying  Indian,  who  was  reeling  to  and  fro  under  the 
torture  of  pain,  when  all  of  a  sudden  he  presented  his 
rifle  to  shoot.  The  rangers  sprang  from  their  horses 
to  escape  the  shot,  but  one  of  the  party,  a  man  named 
Wright,  not  being  quick  enough,  received  the  charge 
in  his  body,  producing  a  serious  wound.  The  other 
Indian,  who  proved  to  be  a  squaw,  sat  on  the  horse 
spell-bound,  making  no  attempt  at  defense  or  escape. 
Many  shots  were  fired  at  her,  at  close  range,  none 
of  which  took  effect,  when  she  commenced  crying, 
and  was  made  a  prisoner. 

The  Indians  at  the  village  were  taken  by  surprise, 
as  they  had  no  warning  of  the  approaching  enemy, 
and  were  unprepared  to  make  any  resistance.  Most 
of  the  warriors  were  off  hunting,  the  squaws  busy 
preparing  breakfast,  while  the  papooses  were  play- 
ing on  the  green,  unconscious  of  approaching  danger. 
The  rangers  putting  their  horses  on  a  gallop  rode 
into  the  village  among  the  frightened  Indians,  shoot- 
ing down  all  that  came  in  their  way,  sparing  neither 
the  mother  nor  her  infant,  the  aged  or  infirm,  as 
these  defenseless,  panic-stricken  people  fled  from 


BLACK  PARTRIDGE'S  VILLAGE  DESTROYED.  253 

their  homes.  The  fugitives  found  refuge  in  a  swamp 
near  by  where  the  horses  of  the  pursuers  mired  down, 
and  from  this  cause  many  of  them  owe  the  preserva- 
tion of  their  lives.  Some  of  the  warriors  having 
been  wounded  in  the  assault  could  not  flee;  these 
with  small  children,  the  aged  and  infirm,  were  slain 
in  cold  blood.  The  village  with  all  its  contents,  as 
well  as  the  corn  in  the  caches,  was  burned,  and  the 
ponies,  about  one  hundred  in  number,  were  taken  by 
the  rangers  as  trophies  of  war. 

"While  the  village  was  burning,  and  the  rangers 
were  having  a  jollification  over  their  easy  victory,  an 
Indian  of  stately  mien  walked  boldly  along  the  bluff 
one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  distant  and  fired  his 
hun  at  them,  after  which  he  laughed  long  and  loud, 
as  he  walked  slowly  away.  Many  shots  were  fired 
at  him,  without  effect,  and  some  of  the  rangers 
started  in  pursuit,  but  he  succeeded  in  making  his 
escape. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

LIEUTENANT   HELM   RANSOMED   BY  BLACK 
PARTRIDGE. 

A  BOUT  two  months  after  the  Chicago  massacre 
-LA.  Black  Partridge  learned- that  Lieutenant  Helm 
was  still  a  prisoner  among  the  Indians  at  a  village 
on  the  Kankakee  River.  On  receiving  this  intelli- 
gence he  went  to  Peoria  to  consult  with  his  friends 
in  relation  to  his  ransom.  Captain  J.  B.  Maillet, 
Antoine  Des  Champs  and  Thomas  Forsyth  were 
consulted,  and  by  them  it  was  agreed  that  Black 
Partridge  should  go  immediately  to  the  Indian  vil- 
lage and  try  to  procure  the  release,  of  the  prisoner. 
Presents  were  furnished  by  the  three  traders  as  a 
ransom  for  the  captive,  with  a  written  order  signed 
by  Thomas  Forsyth,  and  drawn  on  General  Clark, 
Indian  agent  at  St.  Louis,  for  an  additional  one  hun- 
dred dollars  on  his  safe  arrival  at  that  place. 

Black  Partridge  was  provided  with  presents,  and 
accompanied  by  a  half-breed  named  Mark  Topher,  a 
resident  of  Peoria.  When  all  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments were  made  the  two  travelers  mounted  their 

254 


LIEUTENANT    HELM    RANSOMED.  255 

ponies  and  started  off  on  a  mission  of  mercy.  On 
arriving  at  the  Indian  village  they  found  the  captive 
closely  guarded  by  his  captors,  and  still  suffering 
from  a  wound  received  at  the  time  of  the  massacre. 
When  the  old  chief  entered  the  lodge  Lieutenant 
Helm  threw  his  arms  around  his  neck  and  cried  like 
a  child.  He  knew  that  Black  Partridge  had  rescued 
his  wife  from  a  horrible  death,  and  saved  the  lives  of 
his  father-in-law,  John  Kinzie,  with  his  family,  and 
in  him  he  saw  a  prospect  of  his  own  liberation. 

Black  Partridge  called  the  chiefs  and  warriors 
together  and  laid  the  presents  before  them,  saying  to 
them  that  all  these  articles,  with  additional  one  hun- 
dred dollars  in  silver,  would  be  theirs  by  sending 
their  prisoner  to  St.  Louis  to  be  liberated.  After  a 
long  parley  the  Indians  rejected  the  proposition,  on 
the  grounds  that  the  ransom  offered  was  not  suf- 
ficient. 

A  short  time  before  Captain  Heald  had  been  a 
prisoner  of  this  band,  and  the  Indians  sent  him 
to  St.  Joseph  in  charge  of  three  warriors  to  be 
liberated.  The  pay  received  in  exchange  for  him 
was  so  small  that  the  warriors  were  sent  back  to  re- 
claim their  prisoner,  but  Captain  Heald  having 
been  forwarded  to  Detroit  they  failed  in  the  mission. 
Captain  Heald  and  wife,  both  of  whom  were  severely 
wounded,  had  left  St.  Joseph  the  day  before  the 


256  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Indians  arrived,  consequently  they  were  compelled 
to  return  without  their  prisoner.  Captain  and  Mrs. 
Heald  were  put  into  a  bark  canoe  under  the  care  of 
Robinson,  a  half  breed,  and  taken  to  Mackinaw,  three 
hundred  miles  distant,  and  delivered  over  to  a  British 
officer  as  prisoners  of  war. 

The  Indians  refused  to  release  their  prisoner  un- 
less the  ransom  was  increased  ;  therefore  Black  Par- 
tridge offered  them  his  pony,  rifle,  and  a  large  gold 
ring  which  he  wore  in  his  nose.  This  proposition 
was  accepted,  and  Lieutenant  Helm,  with  Mark 
Topher,  accompanied  by  a  petty  chief,  all  mounted 
on  ponies,  left  the  next  day  for  St.  Louis.  Black 
Partridge  accompanied  the  party  on  their  way  one 
day's  journey,  and  then  struck  across  the  country  for 
his  village  on  the  Illinois  River. 

It  was  late  at  night,  very  dark,  and  the  rain 
poured  down  in  torrents,  as  the  old  chief,  on  foot  and 
alone,  plodded  his  way  through  the  thick  river  timber 
toward  his  village,  where  he  expected  to  be  warmly 
greeted  by  his  family  and  friends,  but  he  was  doomed 
to  disappointment.  The  village  had  disappeared, 
not  a  lodge,  camping-tent,  nor  one  human  being 
could  be  found  ;  nothing  remained  on  its  site  but  the 
charred  poles  of  which  the  lodges  were  constructed. 
A  pack  of  hungry  wolves  that  had  been  feeding  on 
the  remains  of  the  slain  ran  away  at  his  approach, 


MRS.    BESSON'S    NARRATIVE.  257 


and  their  howling  during  the  night  added  glooiri  and 
terror  to  the  surrounding  scene.  The  old  chief  drew 
his  blanket  around  his  body,  and  with  sadness  seated 
himself  on  the  ground  to  await  the  approach  of 
daylight.  In  the  morning  he  found  among  the  dead 
the  remains  of  his  favorite  daughter  with  an  infant 
son  clasped  in  her  arms,  both  cold  in  death.  On  the 
site  of  the  village,  and  in  the  swamp  near  by,  he 
found  the  dead  bodies  of  many  of  his  kindred  and 
friends  ;  among  these  was  an  old  squaw  of  ninety 
winters,  and  also  two  of  his  grandchildren.  All  the 
dead  were  scalped,  and  some  of  the  remains  more  or 
less  mutilated. 

MRS.  BESSON'S  NARRATIVE. 

While  in  East  St.  Louis  a  short  time  ago  I  heard 
of  an  old  lady  by  the  name  of  Besson,  who  was  one 
of  the  captives  at  the  Chicago  massacre,  and  is  prob- 
ably the  only  one  now  living.  I  called  on  this  lady 
and  listened  to  her  thrilling  narrative  relating  to 
past  events,  which  to  me  was  very  interesting.  She 
said  her  early  recollections  were  associated  with  Chi- 
cago River,  Lake  Michigan  and  Fort  Dearborn.  By 
the  side  of  the  latter  she  had  spent  most  of  her  child- 
hood days,  and  gathered  wild-flowers  on  the  flat  .prai- 
rie now  covered  by  the  great  metropolis  of  the  west.  • 
Her  maiden  name  was  Mary  Lee,  a  daughter  of 

17 


258  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

Charles  Lee,  who  with  his  family  came  to  Fort 
Dearborn  soon  after  it  was  built.  Their  dwelling 
stood  on  the  beach  of  the  lake,  near  the  fort,  and 
back  of  it  was  a  small  garden  enclosed  by  a  rail 
fen«e.  For  a  number  of  years  her  father,  Mr.  Lee, 
was  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  selling  the 
products  of  his  farm  at  high  rates  to  the  occupants 
of  the  fort. 

Mr.  Lee  made  a  large  farm  at  a  grove  of  timber 
on  the  south  branch  of  Chicago  River,  four  miles 
from  its  mouth,  where  Bridgeport  now  stands.  The 
land  near  the  lake  being  either  wet  or  sandy  ren- 
dered it  unfit  for  farming  purposes,  which  made  it 
necessary  to  go  up  the  river  to  make  a  farm,  where 
the  prairie  was  more  rolling,  and  the  soil  rich.  The 
communication  between  Lee's  residence  and  his  farm 
during  most  of  the  year  was  by  a  boat  on  the  river, 
the  intervening  prairie  much  of  the  time  being 
covered  with  water. 

Mr.  Lee  built  two  cabins  on  his  farm,  and  em- 
ployed a  number  of  persons  to  work  the  land.  For 
some  years  the  grove  with  its  surroundings  was 
known  as  "  Lee's  place,"  afterward  called  Hard- 
scrabble,  and  at  this  place  the  Indians  killed  two  per- 
sons, "White  and  Devow,  on  the  7th  of  April,  1812, 
an  account  of  which  is  given  in  Mrs.  Kinzie's  early 
history  of  Chicago. 


MRS.  BESSON'S  NARRATIVE.  259 

At  the  time  of  the  Chicago  massacre  Mr.  Lee's 
family  consisted  of  his  wife  ;  an  infant  two  months 
old  ;  his  son,  John  of  sixteen  years  ;  Mary,  now 
Mrs.  Besson,  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  twelve; 
Lillie,  ten  ;  and  two  small  boys. 

When  the  troops  left  Chicago  for  Fort  Wayne 
Mr.  Lee,  with  his  family,  accompanied  them,  taking 
with  him  all  his  horses,  but  leaving  behind  a  large 
herd  of  cattle,  which  were  shot  by  the  Indians  on 
the  following  day.  Mrs.  Lee,  with  her  infant  and 
two  younger  children,  were  in  a  covered  wagon, 
while  the  two  girls  were  on  horseback,  and  all  fol- 
lowed the  army  along  the  beach  of  the  lake.  Little 
Lillie  was  a  handsome  child,  a  great  pet  among  the 
soldiers  and  traders  about  the  fort,  but  she  never 
before  appeared  so  lovely  as  on  the  morning  they 
left  Chicago.  She  was  mounted  on  a  large  gray 
horse,  and  to  prevent  her  falling  off  or  being  thrown 
was  tied  fast  to  the  saddle.  She  wore  a  white  ruf- 
fled dress,  trimmed  with  pink  ribbon,  a  black  jockey 
hat  with  a  white  plume  on  one  side,  and  as  her  horse 
pranced  and  champed  the  bits  at  the  sound  of  mar- 
tial music  little  Lillie  in  a  queenly  manner  sat  in  the 
saddle  chatting  gaily  with  her  sister  Mary,  who  rode 
by  her  side.  As  the  soldiers  threw  kisses  at  her  she 
would  return  them  in  her  merry  glee,  chatting  mirth- 
fully with  many  of  her  acquaintances.  Her  young 


260  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

heart  was  made  happy  by  the  excitement  of  the  morn- 
ing, and  she  had  no  warning  of  the  awful  fate  that 
awaited  her  a  few  minutes  afterward. 

Soon  the  guns  of  five  hundred  savages  were  raised 
against  the  troops,  and  by  their  murderous  fire  a 
large  portion  of  the  brave  band  were  stricken  down. 
During  the  battle  little  Lillie  was  wounded  and  fell 
from  her  seat,  but  still  hung  by  the  cord  that  bound 
her  to  the  saddle.  While  in  this  perilous  condition 
the  frightened  horse  ran  back  and  forth  until  caught 
by  an  Indian  and  the.  child  rescued.  "When  the 
battle  was  over  Waupekee,  a  chief  who  had  often 
been  at  Lee's  house  and  trotted  little  Lillie  on  his 
knee,  was  much  grieved  to  see  her  thus  wounded,  as 
he  loved  the  child  as  though  she  were  his  own  daugh- 
ter. On  examining  Lillie' s  wound  and  finding  it 
mortal  the  chief  put  an  end  to  her  suffering  with  a 
stroke  of  his  tomahawk,  saying  afterward  it  was  the 
hardest  thing  he  ever  did,  but  he  could  not  bear  to 
see  her  suffering.  Mr.  Lee  and  his  son  John  were 
killed  in  the  battle,  and  also  the  two  young  boys 
fell  victims  to  the  savages,  while  Mrs  Lee  with  her 
infant  child  and  Mary  were  made  prisoners.  Mrs. 
Lee  and  infant  fell  into  the  hands  of  "Waupekee,  who 
had  a  village  on  the  Des  Plaines  River  about  twenty 
miles  from  Chicago,  who  treated  his  prisoner  kindly, 
and  tried  to  induce  her  to  marry  him,  notwithstand- 


MRS.  BESSON'S  NARRATIVE.  261 

ing  he  already  had  three  wives.  But  she  declined 
the  marriage  proposition,  hoping  some  day  to  be 
ransomed  and  again  restored  to  friends  and  civiliza- 
tion. 

During  the  following  winter  Mrs.  Lee's  child  be- 
came sick,  and  after  all  the  known  remedies  of  the 
Indian  doctor  failed  to  remove  the  disease  the  chief 
proposed  to  take  it  to  Chicago  for  medical  treatment. 
A  Frenchman  named  Du  Pin  had  taken  possession 
of  Kinzie's  house  soon  after  the  burning  of  the  fort, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  carried  on  a  trade  with 
the  Indians. 

On  a  cold  day  in  the  latter  part  of  the  winter 
Waupekee  wrapped  the  sick  infant  in  a  blanket, 
mounted  his  pony,  and  with  his  charge  started  for 
Chicago.  On  arriving  at  Du  Pin's  residence  the 
chief  laid  his  package  on  the  floor.  "What  have 
you  there  ? "  asked  the  trader ;  to  which  Waupe- 
kee replied,  "A  young  raccoon,  which  I  have 
brought  you  as  a  present ;"  and  unwrapping  the 
package  there  lay  the  sick  infant  almost  smothered 
in  the  thick  folds  of  the  blanket.  The  trader  made 
a  prescription  for  the  child,  after  which  the  chief 
carried  it  back  to  its  mother,  and  it  finally  got  well. 

The  trader  became  interested  in  the  welfare  of 
Mrs.  Lee,  and  offered  Waupekee  a  large  amount  of 
goods  for  his  prisoner.  This  offer  was  accepted,  the 


262  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

prisoner  brought  to  the  trading-house  to  be  liber- 
ated, and  soon  afterward  she  became  Madame 
Du  Pin. 

In  the  division  of  prisoners  after  the  battle  Mary 
Lee  was  taken  to  an  Indian  village  on  the  Kankakee 
River,  and  in  the  following  spring  was  carried  tp 
St.  Louis,  and  ransomed  by  the  Indian  agent,  Gen- 
eral Clark.  Some  years  afterward  she  married  a 
Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Besson,  and  is  now  living 
with  a  distant  connection  of  her  husband  in  East 
St.  Louis. 

Mary  Lee  never  met  her  mother  after  that  fatal 
day,  and  for  many  years  supposed  she  was  killed 
with  the  other  members  of  the  family,  but  subse- 
quently learned  of  her  captivity,  liberation,  mar- 
riage and  death. 

THE    FRENCH  AT  PEORIA  REGARDED  AS  ENEMIES. 

While  the  inhabitants  of  Peoria  were  quietly  pur- 
suing their  daily  avocation  of  farming,  hunting  and 
trading  with  Indians,  being  as  they  supposed  at 
peace  with  all  the  world,  a  plot  was  laid  for  their 
destruction.  Being  located  in  the  midst  of  a  wilder- 
ness country,  nearly  two  hundred  miles  from  the 
nearest  American  settlement,  and  having  but  little 
intercourse  with  the  civilized  world,  they  could  not 
have  known  that  war  between  the  United  States  and 


THE    FRENCH    AT   PEORIA. 

England  existed  if  they  had  not  learned    the  fact 
from  neighboring  Indians. 

Although  the  French  at  Peoria  had  lived  within 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States  government  for 
twenty-four  years  they  had  never  taken  the  oath  of 
allegiance,  acknowledged  its  power,  nor  paid  tax  to 
its  support.  They  were  a  foreign  people,  speaking 
a  different  language,  with  habits  and  customs  pecu- 
liar to  themselves,  and  all  their  trade  and  inter- 
course was  with  the  French  citizens  of  Canada.  The 
evil  report  in  circulation  about  the  French  at  Peoria 
assisting  the  Indians  was  believed  by  Governor  Ed- 
wards, and  he  issued  a  proclamation  calling  for  vol- 
unteers, in  order  to  send  an  armed  force  against 
them.  About  two  hundred  men  responded  to  the 
call,  who  were  placed  under  the  command  of  Cap- 
tain Craig,  and  rendezvoused  at  Shawneetown. 
Four  keel-boats  were  prepared,  with  rifle-ball-proof 
planking,  mounted  with  cannon  and  filled  with  armed 
soldiers.  The  boats  left  Shawneetown  early  in  Oc- 
tober, and  arrived  at  Peoria  on  the  5th  of  Novem- 
ber. The  inhabitants  of  Peoria  were  much  sur- 
prised to  see  these  four  armed  boats  land  at  their 
wharf,  as  no  large  craft  had  ever  reached  that  place 
before. 


264  PIONEERS   OF   ILLINOIS. 

CAPTAIN  CRAIG'S  ACCOUNT  OF  HIS  ATTACK  ON 
PEORIA. 

Captain  Thomas  E.  Craig  in  his  report  to  Gov- 
ernor Edwards,  dated  at  Shawneetown,  December  10, 
1812,  giving  an  account  of  the  burning  of  Peoria, 
says  :  "I  landed  at  Peoria  on  the  5th  of  November, 
and  left  it  on  the  9th.  About  midnight  on  the  6th 
the  wind  blew  so  hard  on  the  lake  that  we  were 
compelled  to  let  the  boats  pass  down  into  the  river 
a  short  distance  below  the  town.  At  daybreak 
next  morning  we  were  fired  on  by  a  party  of  Indians 
who  had  secreted  themselves  in  the  thick  timber 
close  by:  Preparations  were  immediately  made  for 
battle,  and  bringing  the  cannons  to  bear  we  shelled 
the  woods,  but  no  enemy  appeared,  having  fled  after 
discharging  their  guns.  Soon  after  daylight  I  had 
the  boats  landed  opposite  the  center  of  the  town, 
and  took  all  the  men  prisoners,  as  they  had  undoubt- 
edly pointed  out  our  location  to  the  Indians.  I 
burned  about  half  the  town  of  Peoria,  and  would 
have  burned  all  of  it  and  destroyed  all  the  stock  but 
I  expected  General  Hopkins'  army  to  pass  that  way 
soon." 

Part  of  the  statements  made  by  Captain  Craig 
are  undoubtedly  true,  but  he  fails  to  tell  the  whole 
story.  The  cold,  selfish  brutality  practiced  by  the 


BURNING    OF    PEORIA.  265 

men  under  Captain  Craig's  command  has  never  be- 
fore been  given  to  the  public,  and  may  appear 
strange  to  the  reader,  but  it  is  nevertheless  true. 
On  this  subject  I  have  conversed  with  four  different 
persons,  Robert  Forsyth,  Rene  La  Croix,  Hypolite 
Pilette,  and  Antoine  Le  Clair,  all  of  whom  were 
present  at  the  time,  being  residents  of  Peoria.  Their 
accounts  of  this  affair  will  be  found  in  the  succeeding 
sketch,  and  are  undoubtedly  true,  as  all  those  state- 
ments agree  on  the  principal  facts,  although  differing 
somewhat  in  detail. 

BURNING  OF  PEORIA. 

The  following  account  of  the  arrival  of  the  gun- 
boats, under  command  of  Captain  Craig,  and  burn- 
ing of  Peoria,  are  principally  taken  from  the  state- 
ments of  Antoine  Le  £lair  and  Hypolite  Pilette, 
both  of  whom  were  present  at  the  time.  Le  Clair 
was  a  half-breed,  and  acquired  much  celebrity  in 
after  years  as  the  proprietor  of  the  city  of  Daven- 
port, Iowa.  Pilette  is  now  living  on  the  American 
Bottom  not  far  from  Prairie  du  Rocher,  to  whom 
many  other  references  are  made  in  this  book. 

On  Sunday  morning,  November  5,  1812.  while 
the  people  of  Peoria  were  assembled  at  the  church, 
engaged  in  saying  mass,  they  were  startled  by  the 
report  of  a  cannon.  The  congregation,  partly 


266  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

through  fright  and  partly  by  curiosity,  ran  out  of 
the  church,  when  they  discovered  four  armed  boats 
in  the  lake  under  full  sail.  On  coming  opposite  the 
town  the  boats  rounded  to,  and  landed  at  the  wharf. 
Father  Racine  came  down  from  the  pulpit,  and  in 
his  long  black  robe,  with  his  bald  head  uncovered, 
started  for  the  landing  followed  by  all  the  congrega- 
tion, men,  women  and  children,  where  they  met 
Captain  Craig,  who  had  landed  from  a  boat.  Thomas 
Forsyth,  who  spoke  English,  inquired  of  the  cap- 
tain the  object  of  this  visit,  but  the  question  was 
evaded,  and  in  return  he  demanded  of  the  citizens  a 
supply  of  meat  and  vegetables  for  his  men,  which 
were  furnished  to  them. 

The  soldiers  landed  from  the  boats,  scattered 
through  the  town  in  search  of  plunder,  and  com- 
mitted many  depredations  on  the  people.  They 
broke  open  the  store  of  Felix  La  Fontain,  in  which 
Antoine  Le  Clair  was  a  clerk,  and  took  therefrom 
two  casks  of  wine  and  drank  the  contents.  Some 
of  the  soldiers  became  intoxicated,  forcing  their  way 
into  houses,  insulting  women,  carrying  off  eatables, 
blankets,  and  everything  they  took  a  fancy  to.  A 
soldier  named  Hitchcock,  with  three  other  armed 
men,  went  into  a  house  occupied  by  very  old 
people,  and  robbed  it  of  most  of  its  valuables.  The 
jewelry  and  gold  taken  from  this  house  were  seen 


BURNING    OF    PEORIA.  267 

in  the  possession  of  the  robbers  on  the  following 
day,  and  a  valuable  watch  with  a  heavy  gold  cross 
was  exhibited  afterward  as  trophies  of  war.  It 
was  long  after  dark  before  Captain  Craig  succeeded 
in  getting  his  drunken,  disorderly  soldiers  on  board 
again,  after  which  the  boats  were  anchored  out  in 
the  lake  to  prevent  further  depredations  on  the  citi- 
zens. During  the  night  a  high  wind  arose,  and  to 
escape  the  waves  in  the  lake  the  boats  were  run  down 
into  the  channel,  one-half  mile  below  the  town. 
About  daybreak  next  morning  eight  or  ten  men  went 
into  the  river  timber  to  shoot  beeves.  The  cattle  be- 
ing mixed  with  buffalo  lived  during  the  winter  on 
the  range,  became  partly  wild,  and  hunted  down  in 
the  woods  same  as  deer  or  elk.  This  party  of  hunt- 
ers attacked  the  herd  in  their  lair,  near  where  the 
gunboats  lay,  shot  three  beeves,  and  had  commenced 
skinning  them  when  the  timber  was  riddled  with 
cannon  balls.  The  hunters  left  their  beeves  un- 
dressed, and  fled  for  their  homes  without  having  the 
slightest  idea  why  this  hostile  demonstration  was 
made  by  the  troops. 

The  boats  were  run  up  opposite  the  town  imme- 
diately after  the  firing  of  cannon,  when  Captain  Craig, 
with  a  large  armed  force,  visited  every  house,  and 
took  all  the  men  prisoners  of  war.  Some  of  the  men 
were  still  in  bed,  and  not  allowed  time  to  dress,  but 


268  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

hurried  off  to  the  boats  with  their  clothes  in  their 
hands.  A  torch  was  applied  to  each  house  in  town 
and  burned  with  all  their  contents,  while  women  and 
children  with  wild  screams  escaped  from  the  burning 
buildings,  and  like  a  herd  of  frightened  deer  fled  to 
a  grove  of  timber  above  the  desolated  town.  The 
church,  which  contained  a  golden  image  and  a  cru- 
cifix, with  other  valuable  religious  emblems,  a  pres- 
ent from  the  bishop  of  Quebec,  were  all  burned 
with  the  building.  The  windmill,  which  stood 
on  the  bank  of  the  lake,  filled  with  grain  and  flour 
belonging  to  the  citizens,  was  burned,  as  well  as 
stables,  barns,  corn-cribs,  etc.  Felix  La  Fontain, 
Michael  La  Croix,  Antoine  Des  Champs,  and  Thomas 
Forsyth,  all  of  whom  were  traders  with  stores  well 
filled  with  goods,  were  consumed  by  the  flames.  An 
old  man  named  Benit,  formerly  a  trader,  had 
saved  a  large  amount  of  gold  by  the  toil  of  half  a  cen- 
tury, and  had  lain  it  away  for  old  age.  This  gold 
was  secreted  in  his  dwelling,  and  finding  it  on  fire 
he  rushed  in  to  save  his  treasure,  and  perished  in  the 
flames.  The  bones  of  this  old  man  were  found 
among  the  ashes  of  his  dwelling  in  the  following 
spring  by  a  party  of  hunters  who  visited  Peoria. 
Mrs.  La  Croix,  a  lady  of  refinement  and  personal 
attractions,  who  in  after  years  became  the  wife  of 
Governor  Reynolds,  being  alone  with  her  small  chil 


BURNING    OF    PEORIA.  269 

dren  when  her  house  was  set  on  fire,  appealed  to  the 
soldiers  to  save  the  clothing  of  herself  and  little  ones, 
but  their  appeals  were  in  vain,  and  with  her  chil- 
dren only  escaped  from  the  burning  building. 

There  is  an  incident  connected  with  the  burning 
of  Peoria  not  generally  known,  which  to  some  extent 
explains  the  barbarous  conduct  of  the  soldiers,  and 
somewhat  palliates  this  outrage  against  humanity. 
About  two  months  before  Peoria  was  burned  Gen- 
eral Howard,  stationed  at  Portage  du  Sioux,  sent  one 
of  his  soldiers,  a  young  half-breed  named  Baptiste 
Snipkins,  to  Peoria  in  order  to  ascertain  if  the  citi- 
zens were  assisting  the  Indians  in  carrying  on  the 
war  against  the  settlements,  as  had  been  reported. 
This  messenger,  called  Howard's  express  by  courtesy, 
but  in  fact  a  spy,  learned  all  he  could  from  the 
people  without  letting  his  true  business  be  known. 
This  young  scapegrace  instead  of  returning  to  the 
army,  and  reporting  the  true  state  aifairs,  according 
to  orders,  became  enamored  with  a  girl  and  pro- 
longed his  stay  until  the  arrival  of  Captain  Craig. 
To  escape  punishment  for  disobeying  orders  he  re- 
ported to  Craig's  command  that  he  was  detained 
against  his  will,  being  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the 
French,  but  this  statement  was  afterward  proven  to 
be  false.  If  this  messenger  had  returned  to  the 
army  and  reported  according  to  orders  Craig's  expe- 


270  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

dition  would  have  been  abandoned,  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  Peoria  averted. 

A  short  time  before  Peoria  was  burned  Thomas 
Forsyth  had  been  appointed  a  government  agent, 
but  this  appointment  was  kept  a  secret  by  the- de- 
partment at  Washington,  as  it  was  thought  if  known 
it  would  lessen  his  influence  with  the  Indians,  and 
perhaps  prejudice  his  townsmen  against  him.  When 
Forsyth  was  made  a  prisoner  he  showed  his  commis- 
sion to  Captain  Craig,  containing  the  United  States 
seal,  but  the  incredulous  officer  pronounced  it  a 
forgery. 

When  the  destruction  of  Peoria  was  completed 
the  boats  started  down  the  river,  carrying  with  them 
all  the  men  as  prisoners  of  war.  Two  miles  below 
the  present  site  of  Alton,  in  the  thick  river  timber, 
the  prisoners  were  set  at  liberty,  without  tents,  pro- 
vision, or  means  of  returning  to  their  families. 

Some  of  the  women  and  children  having  been  left  at 
the  burned  town  without  food  or  shelter,  were  in  a  suf- 
fering condition,  and  without  assistance  would  have 
perished.  It  was  late  in  the  fall,  the  sky  overcast 
with  gray  clouds,  and  the  cold  November  winds 
howled  through  the  forest  trees,  blowing  the  dry 
leaves  hither  and  thither.  With  high  winds  came 
squalls  of  snow,  and  the  roaring  and  lashing  of  the 
waves  m  the  lake  caused  mothers  to  draw  infants 


BURNING    OF   PEORIA.  271 

closer  to  their  bosoms  to  protect  them  from  the  in- 
clement weather.  To  those  destitute,  helpless 
women  all  was  dark  and  cheerless  ;  the  lamentations 
of  mothers  and  cries  of  children  were  heard  at  a  dis- 
tance, and  touched  the  heart  of  a  sympathizing 
friend,  although  a  savage.  While  in  the  midst  of 
trouble  they  discovered  a  lone  Indian  walking  leis- 
urely along  the  beach  of  the  lake,  who  with  a  firm 
step  approached  this  group  of  women  and  children. 
He  carried  a  rifle  on  his  shoulder,  a  tomahawk  and 
seal  ping-knife  in  his  belt,  and  his  face  was  painted 
in  many  colors.  Notwithstanding  he  was  disguise)! 
by  paint,  they  recognized  in  the  approaching  Indian 
Gomo,  a  friendly  chief,  who  had  a  village  where 
Chillicothe  now  stands. 

On  the  approach  of  the  gunboats  the  inhabitants 
of  Gomo's  village  fled  westward,  but  the  chief  with 
two  warriors  secreted  themselves  in  the  thick  tim- 
ber watching  the  movements  of  the  soldiers,  and  as 
soon  as  the  boats  departed  down  the  river  they  came 
forth  from  their  hiding  place  to  assist  their  friends 
in  distress.  Gomo  and  his  comrades  furnished  pro- 
vision and  shelter  for  the  destitute  women  and  chil- 
dren, and  provided  them  with  canoes  to  descend  the 
river. 

When  furnished  with  an  outfit  for  the  journey  the 
women  with  their  little  ones  started  down  the  river, 


272  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

camping  each  night  on  its  banks,  without  tents  to 
shelter  them  from  the  cold  night  air.  After  many 
days  of  toil,  hardships  and  exposure,  drenched  by 
rain,  suffering  from  cold  and  hunger,  they  reached 
Cahokia,  where  they  were  provided  for  by  their 
countrymen,  and  afterward  joined  by  their  hus- 
bands and  fathers. 

It  has  been  stated  that  Captain  Craig  took  the 
women  and  children  in  the  boat  with  the  men,  but 
this  statement  applies  only  to'  a  few  families.  The 
families  of  Thomas  Forsyth,  Antoine  Le  Pance,  Fe- 
lix La  Fontain,  and  perhaps  one  or  two  others,  were 
put  on  board  of  the  boats.  But  I  am  informed  by 
Rene  Le  Croix  and  Hypolite  Pilette  that  their  moth- 
er's family,  with  many  others,  went  down  the  river 
in  bark  canoes  furnished  by  Gomo  as  previously 
stated. 

Captain  Craig  has  been  much  vilified  for  burn- 
ing Peoria,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  he  acted 
under  the  orders  of  Governor  Edwards,  who  ap- 
proved of  his  conduct,  and  afterward  appointed  him 
to  an  important  office.  It  appears  Governor  Ed- 
wards was  misled  by  false  reports,  which  caused 
him  to  make  war  on  innocent  people,  and  in  justice 
to  his  memory,  I  am  willing  to  believe  he  did  only 
what  at  the  time  he  believed  to  be  his  duty. 


DOMESTIC   ANIMALS    LEF11    BY    CAPTIVES.     273 

DOMESTIC  ANIMALS  LEFT  BY  THE  CAPTIVES. 

The  citizens  of  Peoria,  when  captured  and  car- 
ried off  prisoners  of  war,  left  at  their  homes  horses, 
cattle  and  hogs  to  run  wild  in  the  timber,  and  some 
of  the  former  starved  to  death  during  the  cold  winter 
which  followed.  In  the  following  spring  a  party  of 
French  and  half-breeds  belonging  at  Cahokia  went 
to  Peoria,  gathered  up  the  cattle,  driving  them 
south  to  the  settlement,  and  returning  some  of  these 
animals  to  their  rightful  owners. 

Hogs  ran  wild  in  the  river  timber,  and  were 
found  in  large  numbers  ten  years  afterward  by  the 
early  American  settlers.  As  these  hogs  increased 
in  numbers  they  scattered  over  the  country,  and 
were  hunted  down  in  the  thick  timber  the  same  as 
deer. 

In  1820  a  wild  bull  and  yearling  heifer,  crossed 
witli  buffalo,  were  shot  by  hunters  in  Spoon  River 
timber.  The  Indians  say  at  one  time  there  was 
a  large  herd  of  wild  cattle  in  this  section  of  the 
country;  but  they  hunted  them  down  for  beef.  The 
wild  cattle  found  by  hunters,  in  all  probability,  were 
from  the  herd  left  at  Peoria  eight  years  before,  or 
may  have  been  the  offspring  of  a  herd  that  strayed 
away  many  years  before,  and  became  wild. 
18 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
INDIAN  RAID  ON  THE  SETTLEMENT. 

• 

SOME  days  after  the  destruction  of  Black  Par- 
tridge's village,  a  party  of  warriors  headed  by 
the  old  chief  returned  to  bury  the  dead,  and  found  the 
remains  of  the  slain  scalped,  mutilated,  and  partly 
devoured  by  wolves.  After  burying  the  dead  the 
warriors  engaged  in  a  winter  hunt,  according  to 
their  custom,  but  Black  Partridge  traveled  over 
the  country  in  various  directions,  holding  coun- 
cils with  chiefs  and  warriors,  in  order  to  enlist  them 
in  his  cause.  He  was  now  old,  his  hair  whitened 
by  the  snows  of  seventy  winters,  still  his  figure  was 
erect  and  his  step  firm.  Age  had  not  dimmed  the 
fire  of  his  eyes,  nor  destroyed  the  valor  of  his  youth. 
For  many  years  he  had  been  a  friend  of  the  whites, 
and  to  protect  them  from  harm  he  had  made  many 
sacrifices.  He  had  done  everything  in  his  power  to 
prevent  the  massacre  at  Chicago,  and  saved  the  life 
of  Mrs.  Helm  at  the  risk  of  his  own.  He  had  col- 
lected around  him  a  few  faithful  friends  to  guard  the 
dwelling  of  John  Kinzie,  and  thereby  rescued  the 


274 


INDIAN    RAID    ON    THE    SETTLEMENT.         275 


family,  with  other  prisoners,  from  massacre.  He 
traveled  a  long  way  to  the  Kankakee  village,  gave 
his  pony,  rifle  and  ring  to  ransom  Lieutenant  Helm, 
and  while  tired  and  hungry  returned  to  find  his 
home  desolated,  and  his  friends  murdered  or  driven 
away.  Notwithstanding  Black  Partridge  had  made 
all  these  sacrifices  for  his  white  friends,  they  made 
war  on  him,  burned  his  village,  destroyed  his  corn, 
drove  off  his  ponies,  and  killed  about  thirty  of  his 
people,  among  whom  were  some  of  his  kinsmen,  and 
he  now  lived  only  for  revenge. 

In  the  following  summer,  1813,  Black  Partridge 
with  about  three  hundred  warriors,  all  mounted  on 
ponies,  left  for  the  frontier  settlement  in  the  south 
part  of  the  state.  They  went  within  thirty  miles  of 
the  settlement,  and  secreted  themselves  in  the  thick 
timber  of  Shoal  Creek,  now  in  Bond  county.  From 
here  they  sent  out  small  war  parties  to  attack  the 
settlers  and  kill  defenseless  women  and  children. 
The  people  became  greatly  alarmed  at  these  depre-  • 
dations ;  many  fled  from  their  homes,  and  sought 
refuge  at  Cahokia  or  Kaskaskia;  others  built  tem- 
porary forts  to  shield  themselves  from  the  toma- 
hawks and  scalping-knives  of  these  ruthless  savages. 
It  is  said  a  half-breed  dressed  as  a  white  man  acted 
as  a  spy,  visiting;  different  settlements  under  the 
pretext  of  hunting  stray  horses,  and  informed  the 


276  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

Indians  of  the  most  exposed  points.  Through  this 
spy  the  Indians  learned  that  an  expedition  was  about 
to  be  sent  against  the  villages  on  the  Illinois  River ; 
so  their  camp  was  broken  up,  and  they  left  for  their 
homes. 

CAPTIVITY  OF  AMANDA  WOLSEY. 

The  descendants  of  some  of  the  early  settlers  of 
St.  Clair  and  Madison  counties  can  give  many  thrill- 
ing narratives  in  relation  to  Indian  raids  during  the 
late  British  war.  Among  other  stories  is  the  follow- 
ing narrative,  which,  on  account  of  its  romantic 
character,  is  worth  preserving,  and  it  is  believed  it 
has  never  before  found  its  way  into  print. 

In  the  spring  of  1813  a  man  by  the  name  of  Joab 
Wolsey  emigrated  from  Kentucky  and  made  a  claim 
in  the  Wood  River  settlement,  about  thirty  miles 
northeast  of  Cahokia.  The  family  of  this  emigrant 
consisted  of  a  wife  and  four  children,  the  eldest 
named  Amanda,  a  girl  of  fifteen  years  of  age,  and 
ot  prepossessing  appearance.  Mr.  Wolsey  had  built 
a  cabin  on  his  claim,  in  which  his  family  were  quar- 
tered, and  was  about  to  commence  breaking  prairie. 
His  cabin  occupied  an  exposed  situation,  being  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  settlement,  two  or  three  miles 
from  neighbors,  but  no  one  anticipated  the  great 
calamity  which  was  about  to  overtake  that  little 


CAPTIVITY    OF    AMANDA    WOLSEY.  277 

settlement  on  Wood  River.  On  the  afternoon  of  a 
bright  spring  day,  while  Wolsey  was  fixing  his  plow, 
and  training  his  oxen,  preparing  to  commence 
breaking  prairie,  a  half-breed  dressed  in  citizen's 
clothing  called  at  the  cabin  and  inquired  about  some 
horses  which  he  said  had  strayed  away.  It  was 
noticed  that  the  stranger  carried  a  large  knife,  with 
a  navy  pistol,  in  his  belt,  and  his  manner  of  looking 
around  the  premises  caused  Mrs.  Wolsey  to  think 
that  the  visit  of  this  stranger  was  for  some  evil  pur- 
pose. On  the  night  after  the  half-breed's  visit,  while 
all  the  family  were  asleep,  the  cabin  was  surrounded 
by  Indians,  Wolsey,  his  wife  and  three  children 
killed,  and  the  house  set  on  fire.  Amanda  was  made 
a  prisoner,  and  held  in  the  arms  of  a  strong  savage 
while  she  witnessed  the  murder  of  her  parents, 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  their  dwelling  in  flames. 
On  the  following  day  the  mutilated  remains  of  the 
victims  were  found,  one  of  the  children  having  been 
consumed  in  the  cabin.  On  the  same  night  three 
other  families  in  the  same  settlement  were  attacked 
by  Indians,  many  of  the  inmates  slain,  houses  burned, 
and  horses  killed  or  stolen,  Amanda  Wolsey  on 
becoming  a  prisoner  was  placed  on  an  Indian  pony, 
guarded  by  two  warriors,  and  carried  off  a  captive 
into  the  Indian  country.  The  party  having  charge 
of  the  captive  belonged  to  Waba  band,  who  had  a 


278  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

village  on  the  south  side  of  the  Illinois  River,  almost 
opposite  the  outlet  of  Lake  Depue.  The  Indians 
treated  their  prisoner  with  much  respect,  supplying 
her  with  a  dress,  and  painting  her  face  in  accordance 
to  Indian  custom,  and  she  associated  with  young 
maidens  of  her  own  age.  She  frequently  accom- 
panied the  youths  of  both  sexes  to  Starved  Rock  and 
neighboring  villages,  where  they  had  dances  and 
gay  parties.  A  young  chief  fell  in  love  with  her, 
and  proposed  to  make  her  his  wife,  but  she  repulsed 
his  advances,  looking  forward  to  a  time  when  she 
would  be  liberated  and  restored  to  friends  and  civili- 
zation. She  had  ofttimes  thought  of  mounting  a 
pony  during  the  night  when  all  were  asleep  and 
leaving  for  the  settlement,  but  the  great  distance  to 
be  traveled,  nearly  two  hundred  miles,  deterred  her 
from  this  hazardous  undertaking. 

The  summer  had  now  passed,  and  the  Indians  were 
making  preparations  to  leave  their  village  for  their 
annual  hunt,  when  a  messenger  arrived  in  great 
haste,  bringing  the  startling  tidings  that  a  large 
army  had  reached  Peoria.  This  intelligence  caused 
great  excitement  among  the  Indians,  as  their  village 
was  liable  to  be  attacked  at  any  moment.  That 
night  during  the  bustle  and  excitement  Amanda 
escaped  from  the  village,  mounted  a  pony,  and  put 
it  at  the  top  of  speed  down  the  river  in  the  direction 


GENERAL    HOWARD'S    EXPEDITION.  279 

of  Peoria.  But  unfortunately  her  flight  was  dis- 
covered, and  a  number  of  warriors  started  in  pursuit. 
The  fugitive  was  overtaken  in  her  flight,  captured, 
carried  back,  and  placed  in  close  confinement.  In 
December  following  a  treaty  of  peace  was  made 
with  the  Indians,  its  conditions  providing  that  all 
captives  were  to  be  liberated  and  returned  to  their 
friends.  Under  this  treaty  Amanda  Wolsey  was 
carried  back  to  the  settlement  and  set  free. 

GENERAL   HOWARD'S    EXPEDITION  AGAINST  THE 
INDIANS. 

In  September,  1813,  General  Howard,  with  an 
army  consisting  of  five  hundred  regulars  and  nine 
hundred  volunteers,  marched  against  the  Indians  on 
the  Illinois  River.  The  regulars,  commanded  by 
Colonel  Nichols,  ascended  the  Illinois  River  in  keel- 
boats  to  Peoria  Lake,  and  arrived  there^  some  days 
in  advance  of  the  volunteers,  who  were  mounted  and 
came  aross  the  country. 

The  Indians  having  received  an  intimation  that 
an  army  was  about  to  be  sent  against  them  became 
very  much  alarmed,  and  most  of  them  were  in  favor 
of  making  overtures  for  peace.  Black  Partridge,  the 
leading  spirit  of  the  war  party,  was  in  favor  of  de- 
fending themselves  againt  the  aggression  of  the 
whites,  but  he  could  not  enlist  the  different  bands 


280  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

in  his  scheme.  Shaubena,  Waba  and  Waubonsie, 
with  many  of  their  braves,  were  with  Tecumseh,  and 
warriors  of  the  different  bands  could  not  be  united 
under  any  one  chief.  Senachwine  was  opposed  to 
war,  and  being  a  chief  of  great  influence,  gifted  with 
stirring  eloquence,  carried  with  him  a  large  portion 
of  the  warriors. 

Black  Partridge  was  grave  and  morose,  brooding 
over  the  wrongs  he  had  received  from  the  whites  the 
year  before,  and  now  lived  only  for  revenge.  Not- 
withstanding he  had  taken  many  scalps  the  past 
summer,  and  murdered  defenseless  women  and  chil- 
dren, he  still  thirsted  for  more  blood. 

The  largest  village  in  the  country,  called  Wappa, 
was  located  on  Bureau  Creek,  eight  miles  from  the 
river,  and  on  the  present  site  of  Tiskilwa.  The 
head  chief  of  this  village,  named  Comas,  was  a  son- 
in-law  of  Black  Partridge,  and  here  the  old  chief 
found  a  home  after  the  destruction  of  his  village. 

BLACK  PARTRIDGE  WITH  HIS  BRAVES  IN  DEFENSE 
OF  THEIR  COUNTRY. 

On  a  bright,  warm  day  in  the  early  part  of  Indian 
summer  the  warriors  at  Comas'  village  were  loung- 
ing along  the  creek,  some  fishing,  others  running 
foot  races,  wrestling,  or  playing  with  balls,  hoops, 
etc.  All  was  quiet;  neither  war  parties,  dances,  re- 


BLACK    PARTRIDGE    WITH    HIS    BRAVES.      281 

ligious  feast  nor  marriage  celebration,  nothing  what- 
ever to  relieve  the  monotony  of  village  life.  A  party 
of  warriors  was  about  to  start  west  on  a  hunt  when 
two  scouts  arrived  with  the  startling  intelligence  that 
troops  had  arrived  at  Peoria,  and  were  engaged  in 
building  a  'fort.  On  receiving  these  tidings  Black 
Partridge  mounted  his  pony,  riding  back  and  forth 
through  the  village  calling  for  volunteers  to  accom- 
pany him  to  victory.  A  large  number  of  warriors  re- 
sponded to  the  call,  and  mounted  upon  ponies,  armed 
and  equipped  for  war,  were  soon  on  their  way  to  meet 
the  enemy.  On  their  way  they  stopped  at  Senach- 
wine  and  Crow's  villages  in  order  to  obtain  recruits, 
but  were  unsuccessful,  as  no  warriors  of  either  village 
would  join  this  war  party.  On  reaching  Gomo's 
village  they  found  the  chief  and  many  of  the  warriors 
off  on  a  hunt,  and  but  few  of  those  at  home  were 
willing  to  engage  in  this  hazardous  enterprise. 
Black  Partridge  was  much  discouraged  by  his  failure 
to  raise  a  large  force,  as  he  expected,  but  with  his 
little  band  of  braves,  amounting  to  about  three  hun- 
dred, he  concluded  to  give  immediate  battle  before 
the  enemy  could  erect  fortifications  for  their  defense. 
While  the  troops  under  Colonel  Nichols  were  en- 
gaged in  building  a  block  house,  uncoficious  of  dan- 
ger, they  were  attacked  by  Black  Partridge's  band 
of  warriors,  and  had  it  not  been  for  persons  outside 


282  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

of  the  picket  guards  giving  timely  alarm  in  all  prob- 
ability a  bloody  battle  would  have  resulted. 

COLONEL   DAVENPORT'S  ACCOUNT   OF  AN   ATTACK 
ON  THE  BLOCK  HOUSE. 

For  incidents  relating  to  an  attack  on  the  block 
house,  building  a  fort,  and  treaty  with  the  Indians, 
I  am  indebted  to  Colonel  George  Davenport,  a  noted 
Indian  trader  at  Rock  Island  who  was  murdered 
July  4,  1845,  by  the  "bandits  of  the  prairie." 

Mr.  Davenport,  at  that  time  a  young  man,  was  an 
uncommissioned  officer  in  Captain  Owen's  company, 
of  the  regular  army,  and  in  that  capacity  served 
during  the  war. 

On  arriving  at  Peoria  Lake  the  soldiers  com- 
menced building  a  block  house  for  storing  the  bag- 
gage, as  well  as  a  protection  against  an  attack  from 
the  enemy.  A  well  having  been  dug  near  the  block 
house  to  supply  it  with  water,  it  became  necessary 
to  liave  a  sweep  to  draw  it ;  consequently  Mr.  Daven- 
port, with  two  companions,  went  into  the  woods  to 
get  a  grapevine  for  that  purpose.  Having  found 
one  suitable,  Davenport  climbed  the  tree  to  cut  it 
off,  and  while  doing  so  he  discovered  a  large  body 
of  Indians  skulking  in  the  timber,  going  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  block  house.  On  seeing  this  war  party 
Davenport  and  his  companions  gave  an  alarm,  and 


COLONEL  DAVENPORT'S  ACCOUNT.        283 

in  all  haste  fled  toward  the  block  house,  but  finding 
Indians  in  that  direction  turned  their  course  for  the 
gunboats,  which  were  moored  in  the  lake.  With  all 
speed  the  fugitives  ran  for  the  boats,  closely  fol- 
lowed by  the  Indians,  who  fired  at  them  many  shots, 
while  yelling  like  demons.  The  soldiers  on  the  gun- 
boats, thinking  only  of  their  own  safety,  pushed 
them  oif  from  the  shore,  but  fortunately  one  of  them 
grounded  on  a  sand  bar,  which  was  the  means  of 
saving  the  lives  of  Davenport  and  his  companions. 
The  fugitives  rushed  into  the  water  waist  deep, 
pushed  the  grounded  boat  off.  and  jumped  on  board 
of  it,  while  the  Indians  fired  on  them,  many  of  the 
rifle  balls  whizzing  by  their  heads  and  lodging  in  the 
side  of  the  vessel.  The  boats  went  off  some  dis- 
tance from  the  shore,  nevertheless  the  Indians  con- 
tinued to  fire  on  them,  but  without  effect.  A  can- 
non on  one  of  the  boats  was  brought  to  bear  on  the 
savages,  but  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment  its 
muzzle  was  raised  above  the  port-hole,  and  the  ball 
tore  off  a  portion  of  the  side  of  the  vessel.  The  In- 
dians also  attacked  the  block  house,  which  was  in 
an  unfinished  condition,  but  met  with  a  warm  re- 
ception from  those  within.  The  cannons  on  the 
boats  having  been  brought  to  bear  on  the  Indians, 
they  fled  from  the  thick  timber  where  they  had 
taken  shelter,  and  the  fight  ended. 


CHAPTEE  XXIII. 

BUILDING  OF  FORT  CLARK. 

ENEEAL  HOWAED  with  nine  hundred 
mounted  volunteers  left  their  quarters  at 
Portage  des  Sioux  in  September,  1812,  and  followed 
up  the  Mississippi  to  the  present  site  of  Quincy, 
and  from  here  crossed  the  country  to  Peoria.  The 
troops  encamped  on  the  site  of  the  old  French  town, 
and  a  strong  picket  guard  placed  around  the  encamp- 
ment to  prevent  being  surprised  by  the  Indians. 
During  the  night  an  alarm  was  given,  and  a  re- 
port circulated  through  the  camp  that  they  were 
about  to  be  attacked  by  a  large  body  of  Indians. 
All  the  troops  were  under  arms,  many  shots  fired  at 
phantoms,  and  one  soldier  killed  by  a  sentinel,  but 
the  alarm  proved  to  be  false,  as  no  enemy  could  be 
found. 

On  the  following  day,  after  the  arrival  of  this 
army,  by  order  of  the  commander  it  marched  up  to 
Gomo's  village,  at  the  head  of  the  lake,  but  found  it 
deserted,  and  after  burning  the  town  and  destroying 
the  corn  in  the  fields  returned  to  Peoria. 


BUILDING    OF    FORT    CLARK.  285 

Preparations  having  been  made  to  build  a  fort  on 
the  site  of  the  old  French  town  for  the  purpose  of 
holding  possession  of  the  country,  timbers  were 
cut  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake,  and  floated 
across  to  build  block  store-houses,  and  enclose  them 
with  palisades.  On  a  high  piece  of  ground  near  the 
bank  of  the  lake  a  fort  was  built,  consisting  of  stock- 
ades made  of  two  rows  of  split  timbers,  and  the  space 
between  them  filled  with  dirt.  A  ditch  surrounded  the 
fort,  and  at  two  corners  were  bastions  for  mounting 
cannon.  Inside  of  the  stockades  was  a  large  block- 
house, two  stories  high,  and  on  three  sides  of  it  were 
port-holes,  so  the  inmates  could  fire  on  the  enemy  in 
case  of  an  attack.  Besides  this  block-house  were 
store-houses,  and  quarters  for  officers  and  soldiers. 

When  the  fort  was  completed  and  cannons 
mounted  on  its  ramparts,  with  flags  waving  on  each 
bastion,  General  Howard  ordered  all  the  soldiers  on 
duty,  forming  in  double  file,  fronting  the  gateway. 

A  speech  was  made  by  the  commanding  officer, 
drums  beat,  soldiers  cheered,  the  cannons  fired  a 
salute,  and  with  much  enthusiasm  the  fort  was  dedi- 
cated and  named  "  Fort  Clark  "  in  honor  of  General 
George  Roger  Clark,  the  hero  of  Kaskaskia  and  Vin- 
cennes. 


286  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

GUNBOATS    ASCEND    THE    RIVER    TO    THE  RAPIDS. 

Four  keel-boats,  mounted  with  cannon  and  filled 
by  armed  soldiers  belonging  to  the  regular  army,  un- 
der command  of  Major  Christy,  ascended  the  river 
from  Peoria  in  search  of  the  enemy.  These  boats 
landed  at  different  villages  along  the  river,  but  found 
them  all  deserted,  the  Indians  having  fled  from  their 
homes.  These  villages  were  burned  with  all  of  their 
contents,  and  the  corn  in  the  fields,  and  pelts,  furs 
and  other  valuables  stored  away  in  the  caches  were 
also  destroyed  or  carried  off. 

On  Hickory  Ridge,  below  the  mouth  of  Bureau 
Creek,  the  Indians,  headed  by  Black  Partridge,  tore 
down  the  two  cabins  built  many  years  before  by  De 
Beuro,  and  with  these  logs  erected  a  breastwork  on 
the  river  so  they  could  fire  on  the  boats  while 
ascending  the  stream  ;  but  on  finding  these  boats 
protected  by  heavy  plank,  rifle  proof,  with  port- 
holes for  cannon,  the  warriors  fled  without  firing  a 
gun  or  letting  their  presence  be  known.* 

Major  Christy  intended  to  ascend  the  Illinois  as 
far  as  the  mouth  of  Fox  River,  but  finding  it  difficult 
to  pass  the  rapids  he  landed  at  Starved  Rock.  On 
the  following  day  the  boats  were  started  down  stream, 

*  Colonel  G.  S.  Hubbard  says  when  he  came  to  the  country,  in  1818,  this 
breastwork  was  still  standing,  and  its  relics,  consisting  of  a  pile  of  rotten  logs, 
could  be  seen  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  country. 


INDIANS    COLLECT    ON    BUREAU.  287 

landing  at  the  mouth  of  Bureau  Creek,  and  from  here 
a  war  party,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Robenson, 
went  out  in  search  of  the  enemy. 

•     INDIANS  COLLECT  ON  BUREAU. 

When  the  troops  under  General  Howard  reached 
Peoria  the  inhabitants  of  Gomo's,  Senachwine,  Crow 
and  other  towns  fled  from  their  homes  and  collected 
at  Comas'  village,  on  Bureau  Creek.  Here  they  in- 
tended to  make  a  stand,  await  the  approach  of  the 
invaders,  and  fight  for  their  country  and  homes.  All 
the  squaws  and  papooses,  with  the  aged  warriors  un- 
able to  bear  arms,  were  sent  up  the  creek  about  seven 
miles  above  the  town,  where  they  were  secreted  in 
the  thick  timber.* 

At  Comas'  village  were  collected  about  one  thou- 
sand warriors,  occupying  all  the  lodges,  while  above 

*  About  two  miles  northwest  of  Princeton,  in  the  valley  of  Bureau,  is  a  sin- 
gular narrow  ridge,  about  sixty  feet  high,  extending  from  the  east  bluff  part 
way  across  the  bottom.  This  remarkable  ridge,  which  looks  like  a  freak  of 
_  nature,  is  called  Back  Bone,  and  on  top  of  it  now  passes  a  public  road.  With 
the  Indians  this  place  became  a  noted  landmark,  and  it  was  equally  so  with 
hunters  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  country. 

Immediately  north  of  the  Back  Bone,  in  the  thick  bottom  timber  by  the 
side  of  a  spring,  was  an  old  Indian  camping-ground,  and  here  their  camp  poles 
stood  long  after  they  left  the  country.  In  the  fall  of  1836  a  party  of  Indian 
hunters  were  encamped  here  for  a  number  of  weeks,  having  returned  from  the 
west  to  visit  the  home  of  their  youth.  Among  these  Indians  was  one  who  spoke 
good  English,  find  while  in  conversation  with  him  I  obtained  many  of  the  items 
narrated  in  this  chapter.  He  said  at  the  time  of  the  war  many  thousand  squaws 
and  papooses  were  encamped  on  this  ground,  and  here  Madas,  a  noted  war- 
rior, and  brother  of  Black  Partridge,  died  from  a  wound  received  in  the  fight  at 
Peoria  a  few  days  before,  and  he  showed  me  his  grave  on  the  Back  Bone,  which 
was  surrounded  by  a  pen  built  of  small  timbers  or  poles. 


288  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

and  below  it  the  meadow  was  covered  with  camping- 
tents.  On  the  bottom  prairie  below  the  village 
many  hundred  ponies  were  feeding,  all  of  them 
spanceled  so  they  could  be  caught  and  mounted  at  a 
moment's  notice.  It  was  expected  that  Howard's 
army  would  follow  up  the  river  and  attack  them  in 
their  retreat,  therefore  a  suitable  place  to  make  a 
defense  was  selected.  This  was  in  the  thick  timber 
some  distance  below  the  village,  where  they  could 
fire  on  the  invaders  while  crossing  a  small  bottom, 
prairie. 

Indian  scouts,  who  were  all  the  while  on  the  alert,, 
discovered  the  troops  ascending  the  river  in  boats,, 
and  in  all  haste  conveyed  the  tidings  to  the  vil- 
lage. On  receiving  these  tidings  the  drums  beat  to 
arms,  all  was  bustle  and  excitement,  and  in  a  short 
time  the  warriors  were  secreted  in  their  ambuscade 
awaiting  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  but  when  they 
found  that  the  boats  continued  on  up  the  river  they 
returned  to  their  village. 

LIEUTENANT  KOBENSON  IN  SEARCH  OF  THE  ENEMY. 

About   eighty  soldiers,  under   the  command   of 
Lieutenant  Robenson,  left  the  gunboats  on  the  river 
and  marched  up  Bureau  Creek,  with  the  intention  of 
visiting  Comas'  village,  situated  eight  miles  distant, 
on  the   present  site  of  Tiskilwa.     After  going  up 


LIEUTENANT    ROBENSON    IN    SEARCH.         289 

the  valley  about  five  miles  through  timber  and 
prairie  they  discovered  a  trail  with  fresh  pony 
tracks.  On  making  this  discovery  they  came  to  a 
halt  for  consultation  on  the  propriety  of  continuing 
their  march,  knowing  that  they  were  near  a  large 
Indian  village,  and  at  any  point  of  timber  were 
liable  to  fall  into  an  ambuscade  of  lurking  savages. 
Some  were  in  favor  of  going  on  and  burn  the  village, 
if  vacated,  but  fortunately  a  majority  opposed  it; 
consequently  they  turned  about  and  retraced  their 
steps  back  to  the  river. 

On  the  return  of  Robenson's  command  with  the 
report  of  no  Indians  found,  Major  Christy  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  they  had  fled  from  the  country, 
and  preparations  were  made  to  descend  the  river. 
Before  leaving  cannons  fired  a  salute,  toasts  were 
drank,  and  the  stream  named  Robenson's  River, 
which  name  it  continued  to  bear  for  many  years  after- 
ward, and  so  appeared  on  all  the  early  maps  of  the 
state. 

Indian  scouts  had  watched  the  keel-boats  as  they 
ascended  and  descended  the  river,  and  on  seeing 
them  land  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  and  preparing 
to  send  out  troops  to  make  observations,  they  put 
their  ponies  on  a  gallop  to  convey  the  tidings  back 
to  the  village,  and  it  was  the  tracks  of  their  ponies 
which  Robenson's  party  discovered  while  on  their 
19 


290  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

march.  On  learning  of  the  approach  of  troops  war- 
riors mounted  their  ponres  and  rode  in  all  haste  to 
the  place  selected  to  attack  the  invaders.  Here 
many  of  the  warriors  secreted  themselves  in  the 
thick  timber,  while  those  mounted  remained  in  the 
rear  to  intercept  the  vanquished  troops.  Had  Roben- 
son's  command  continued  their  march  toward  the 
village,  the  probabilities  are  but  few  of  them  would 
have  escaped  death,  as  the  warriors  outnumbered 
them  five  to  one,  and  many  of  them  mounted,  while 
the  soldiers  were  on  foot. 

TREATY  OF  PEACE— THE  WAR  ENDED. 

Black  Partridge  and  his  friends  finding  it  impos- 
sible to  unite  the  different  bands  so  as  to  continue 
the  war  successfully,  thought  it  best  to  make  over- 
tures for  peace,  and  accordingly  a  large  delegation 
of  chiefs  and  warriors  went  to  Fort  Clark  for  that 
purpose.  When  this  party  arrived  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  fort  they  came  to  a  halt,  when  Senach- 
wine,  accompanied  by  two  warriors  carrying  white 
flags,  went  forward  to  the  gate  of  the  fort,  and  pre- 
pared to  meet  the  commanding  officer  in  council. 
Arrangements  were  made  for  meeting  in  council  on 
the  following  day,  for  the  purpose  of  agreeing  on 
terms  of  peace.  At  the  appointed  time  about  forty 
chiefs  and  warriors,  decorated  with  eagle  and  turkey 


TREATY    OF    PEACE.  291 

feathers,  made  their  appearance,  and  were  met  by 
General  Howard  and  all  the  officers  of  his  command. 
After  shaking  hands  and  passing  around  the  pipe  of 
peace,  Senachwine  made  a  speech  before  the  coun- 
cil, in  which  he  said  they  had  come  to  make  peace 
with  the  whites  and  forever  bury  the  tomahawk. 
In  reply  to  this  speech  General  Howard  said  he  had 
no  power  to  treat  with  them,  but  proposed  to  con- 
duct their  head  chiefs  to  St.  Louis,  and  General 
Clark,  the  general  agent,  would  hear  their  proposi- 
tions for  peace.  The  Indians  agreed  to  this,  and  a 
delegation  of  thirteen  chiefs  and  one  squaw  were 
selected  to  go  to  St.  Louis.  Among  these  chiefs 
were  Black  Partridge,  Senachwine^  Comas,  Shick- 
Shack,  Crow  and  Gomo.  General  Howard  ordered 
George  Davenport  to  select  four  trusty  men  -and 
escort  these  Indians  to  St.  Louis.  All  necessary 
arrangements  having  been  made,  this  party  on  the 
following  day  went  on  board  of  a  pirogue  and  started 
down  the  river  for  St.  Louis.  It  being  late  in  De- 
cember the  weather  was  cold  ;  consequently  after  one 
day's  journey  the  river  froze  up,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  distance  was  made  on  foot.  The  pirogue  was 
secreted  in  the  thick  timber,  together  with  part  of 
their  stores,  including  a  keg  of  whiskey,  when  the 
travelers,  with  such  baggage  as  they  could  carry, 
proceeded  on  their  way.  At  night  both  whites  and 


292  PIONEERS    OF   ILLINOIS. 

Indians  camped  together,  but  each  party  kept  a 
guard  on  duty,  as  they  feared  treachery. 

This  party  after  five  days'  travel  arrived  safe  at 
St.  Louis  ;  a  treaty  of  peace  was  concluded,  and  the 
Indians  left  five  of  their  number  as  hostage  for  its 
fulfillment.  The  Indians  on  their  return  were  es- 
corted as  far  as  Alton  above  the  settlement,  and 
they  returned  to  their  homes. 

After  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Indians  Fort 
Clark  was  abandoned,  the  troops  returned  to  the 
settlement,  and  the  volunteers  discharged  from 
service. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

DESCENDANTS  OF  FRENCH    SETTLERS   AT   FEORIA. 

OF  the  descendants  of  French  residents  who  were 
born  at  Peoria,  and  remember  incidents  con- 
nected with  its  destruction,  only  three  are  now  liv- 
ing (if  we  except  Mrs.  Chandler,  daughter  of  Michael 
La  Croix),  and  they  are  now  far  advanced  in  life.  A 
short  time  ago  I  visited  these  three  persons,  and 
listened  to  an  account  of  their  early  recollections  of 
Peoria,  as  well  as  the  traditions  of  their  ancestors. 
One  of  these  descendants,  Robert  Forsyth,  a  man 
of  wealth  and  enterprise,  lives  on  a  farm  six  miles 
west  of  St.  Louis.'-  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Forsyth, 
a  trader  and  Indian  agent  at  Peoria  at  the  time  it 
was  burned,  and  for  many  years  after  an  agent  of 
the  Sacs  and  Foxes  at  Rock  Island.  Mr.  Forsyth 
was  of  Irish  lineage,  a  half-brother  of  John  Kinzie, 
of  Chicago,  and  the  early  part  of  his  life  was  spent 
among  the  French  and  Indians  at  Peoria.  He  was 
one  of  the  claimants  for  the  land  on  which  the  city 
of  Peoria  now  stands,  and  his  son  Robert  (above  re- 

*  Died  since  writing  the  above. 
393 


294  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

ferred  to)  prosecuted  these  claims  against  the  occu- 
pants, and  obtained  from  them  a  large  sum  of 
money. 

Major  Thomas  Forsyth  for  nearly  twenty  years 
was  employed  by  the  government  as  an  Indian  agent, 
and .  he  is  frequently  referred  to,  both  in  General 
Clark's  and  governors'  dispatches  to  the  secretary  of 
war.  He  appears  to  have  been  the  only  American- 
born  citizen  in  the  west,  at  that  time,  with  whom 
the  Indians  had  confidence,  and  chiefs  of  various 
tribes  continued  to  counsel  with  him  until  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  at  St.  Louis  October 
29,  1833. 

In  reference  to  the  burning  of  Peoria  Major  For- 
syth made  an  entry  in  his  journal  which  contains  the 
following  language:  "  A  band  of  ruffians  from  Shaw- 
neetown,  commanded  by  Captain  Thomas  E.  Craig, 
took  us  prisoners  as  though  w.e  were  malefactors, 
and  set  us  adrift  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  near 
where  Savage's  ferry  now  is.  Many  poor  unfortu- 
nate persons  with  wives  and  small  children  had  not 
a  change  of  clothing  nor  a  blanket  to  protect  them 
from  the  col'd  winds." 

Rene  La  Croix,  another  of  the  descendants  of  the 
Peoria  French,  lives  in  Belleville,  and  like  Robert 
Forsyth  made  money  out  of  the  French  land  claims. 
His  father,  Michael  La  Croix,  married  Catherine 


DESCENDANTS  OF  FRENCH  SETTLERS.   295 

Dubuque,  cousin  of  Julian  Dubuque,  a  noted  pio- 
neer and  founder  of  the  city  in  Iowa  which  still 
bears  his  name.  La  Croix  came  to  Peoria  in  1805, 
and  for  many  years  was  engaged  in  trade,  shipping 
furs  to  Canada  in  a  two-mast  batteau,  and  loading 
back  with  goods  for  the  Indian  market.  He  was  on  his 
way  to  Canada  with  his  batteau,  loaded  with  furs, 
when  the  town  was  destroyed,  and  on  arriving  at  Mon- 
treal heard  that  the  Yankees  had  burned  Peoria,  and 
killed  all  its  inhabitants,  among  whom  were  his  wife 
and  children.  With  his  heart  filled  with  revenge 
he  joined  the  British  army,  became  an  officer,  and 
took  part  in  many  of  the  battles  which  followed. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  La  Croix  learned  that  his 
family  were  not  killed,  as  reported,  but  living  at  Ca- 
hokia,  consequently  he  came  west  to  join  them.  A 
few  years  after  joining  his  family  he  died,  and  his 
widow  married  John  Reynolds,  afterward  Governor 
of  Illinois. 

Hypolite  Pilette,  a  descendant  of  the  Peoria 
French,  is  a  son  of  Louis  Pilette,  one  of  the  French 
land  claimants,  born  at  Peoria  in  1799,  and  is  now 
living  on  the  American  Bottom.  He  claims  to  be  a 
great-grandson  of  Captain  Richard  Pilette,  who  in 
1686  built  Le  Fort  des  Miamies,  on  Buffalo  Rock, 
and  has  now  in  his  possession  the  sword,  eagle  and 
epaulets  worn  by  that  distinguished  personage.  In 


296  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

speaking  of  the  burning  of  Peoria  by  Captain  Craig, 
in  1812,  he  said  :  %  On  a  cold  November  morning, 
when  a  boy  of  thirteen  years  of  age,  I  was  driven 
from  home  without  coat,  hat  or  shoes  ;  my  mother 
sick  with  the  ague,  and  with  an  infant  in  her  arms, 
was  compelled  to  leave  her*  bed,  protected  from  the 
cold  winds  only  by  an  Indian  blanket,  while  our 
house  with  all  its  contents  were  consumed  by  the 
flames.  My  father  a  prisoner,  my  mother  sick,  rny 
brothers  and  sisters  almost  naked,  without  food  or 
shelter,  we  were  left  to  our  fate.  Thus  were  we 
turned  out  of  doors  to  freeze  and  starve,  but  fortu- 
nately rescued  by  friendly  Indians." 

Three  days  after  Peoria  was  burned  Mrs.  Pilette, 
with  her  live  small  children,  were  put  in  a  canoe  by 
the  Indian  chief  Gomo,  and  in  company  with  others 
as  unfortunate  as  herself  started  down  the  river. 
After  six  days  of  exposure,  and  suffering  from  cold 
and  hunger,  they  reached  Cahokia,  and  were  pro- 
vided for  by  their  countrymen  and  friends.  Pilette 
is  a  jolly  old  Frenchman,  fond  of  a  bottle  of  wine, 
and  very  talkative  while  under  its  influence.  Al- 
though born  and  raised  in  Illinois  he  speaks  no 
English  except  in  broken,  detached  sentences,  but 
in  his  own  language,  I  should  judge,  he  is  quite  elo- 
quent. While  speaking  of  the  past  Pilette  became 
very  much  excited ;  his  eyes  flashed  with  anger,  his 


PERILS    OF    FUR    TKADEKS.  297 

voice  raised  to  a  high  key,  while  denouncing  the 
barbarous  acts  of  Captain  Craig,  and  from  that  time, 
said  he,  "  I  hate  Yankees."" 

There  are  some  facts  connected  with  the  burning 
of  Peoria  not  generally  known,  but  when  properly 
understood  will  explain  a  matter  which  to  many  ap- 
pears mysterious.  A  few  months  ago  I  called  on  an 
old  gentleman  living  in  St.  Louis,  by  the  name  of 
James  Porter,  who  was  a  soldier  in  Captain  Craig's 
command.  Mr.  Porter  believes  that  he  is  the  only 
person  now  living  who  participated  in  burning 
Peoria,  and  although  seventy  years  have  passed 
away  he  has  a  vivid  recollection  of  many  of  the  inci- 
dents which  occurred  on  that  eventful  day.  He  says 
all  the  soldiers  believed  that  the  French  were  assist- 
ing the  Indians  to  make  war  on  the  settlers,  and  this 
belief  was  confirmed  by  Baptiste  Snipkins,  General 
Howard's  express,  who  carne  on  board  of  a  boat  as 
soon  as  they  arrived  at  Peoria. 

Mr.  Porter  also  says  that  it  was  afterward  ascer- 
tained that  the  depredation  on  the  settlement  was 
committed  by  a  war  party  of  Sacs,  and  Foxes,  and 
the  Indians  along  the  Illinois  River  were  innocent 
as  well  as  the  French.  When  all  the  facts  became 
known,  years  after  Peoria  was  burned,  Captain  Craig 
and  many  of  those  under  his  command  were  filled 


298  PIONEEKS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

with  remorse  on  account  of  having  committed  this 
outrage  on  innocent  people. 

PERILS  OF  PUR  TRADERS  ON  ILLINOIS  RIVER. 

After  the  burning  of  Peoria  there  was  but  little 
trade  on  the  Illinois  River  for  three  years,  and  the 
Indians  failing  to  obtain  their  usual  supply  of  goods 
were  in  a  suffering  condition.  For  an  American 
trader  to  enter  the  Indian  country  would  be  at  the 
risk  of  his  life,  and  while  French  traders  were  safe 
from  harm  among  the  Indians,  they  were  liable  to 
fall  into  the  hands  of  soldiers,  and  have  their  goods 
confiscated  to  the  government.  After  the  evacua- 
tion of  Fort  Dearborn  a  Frenchman  named  Du  Pin 
took  possession  of  John  Kinzie's  dwelling,  and  for 
three  years  traded  with  the  Indians.  During  the 
continuation  of  the  war  a  number  of  Frenchmen  con- 
tinued to  live  with  the  Indians,  but  none  of  them  ex- 
cept Du  Pin  kept  a  stock  of  goods  for  Indian  trade. 

In  the  summer  of  1814  Jacques  Jarret,  a  French 
Canadian,  came  down  the  Illinois  River  in  a  batteau 
loaded  with  goods  for  the  Indian  market.  The 
trader  had  two  Frenchmen  employed  as  boatsmen, 
and  an  Englishman  named  John  Ford  acted  as  a 
clerk  and  salesman.  At  different  places  where  the 
batteau  stopped  to  trade  the  Indians  looked  on  Ford 
with  much  suspicion,  accused  him  of  being  an  Amer- 


BURNING  OF  FOET  CLARK.         299 

lean,  and  at  one  time  threatened  him  with  death. 
While  the  batteau  lay  at  the  mouth  of  Crow  Creek, 
for  the  purpose  of  trade,  a  large  number  of  warriors 
collected  around  Ford,  denounced  him  as  an  Ameri- 
can and  a  spy,  and  made  him  a  prisoner,  and  were 
about  to  carry  him  off  to  a  place  of  execution.  In 
vain  Jarret  tried  to  make  the  warriors  understand  that 
Ford  was  an  Englishman,  and  that  his  country  was 
then  at  war  with  the  Americans.  After  a  long  parley 
the  prisoner  was  ransomed  by  the  trader  giving  the 
captors  a  large  amount  of  goods  for  his  liberation. 
After  this  narrow  escape  from  death  Ford  laid  aside 
his  fashionable  suit,  clothed  himself  as  a  boatman, 
and  disguised  his  face  with  paint.  From  that  time 
he  spoke  no  language  in  the  presence  of  Indians, 
and  was  known  thereafter  among  them  as  the  deaf 
and  dumb  Frenchman. 

BURNING  OF  FORT  CLARK. 

For  many  years  this  old  historical  spot  at  the  foot 
of  the  lake  was  known  as  Fort  Clark,  but  as  the  town 
became  a  place  of  importance  it  again  resumed 
its  former  name,  "Peoria."  At  the  close  of  the 
British  war  the  Chauteaus  and  Menards  continued 
the  fur  trade  along  the  Illinois  River  until  super- 
seded by  the  American  Fur  Company.  In  1816 
Antoine  Des  Champs  received  an  appointment  of 


300  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

general  agent  of  the  American  Fur  Company  in  Illi- 
nois territory.  Des  Champs  was  an  old  fur  trader, 
at  one  time  a  resident  of  Peoria,  but  afterward  at 
Cahokia,  and  proved  to  be  an  efficient  agent.  He 
dispatched  runners  to  different  Indian  villages, 
requesting  the  inhabitants  to  meet  him  at  Fort  Clark 
on  the  5th  of  August  to  receive  presents  sent  them 
by  the  great  fur  company.  At  the  appointed  time 
about  one  thousand  Indians  were  collected  at  the 
old  fort  when  Des  Champs  arrived  with  a  Mackinaw 
boat  loaded  with  goods.  After  making  many  pres- 
ents to  the  Indians,  and  obtaining  their  promise  to 
patronize  the  new  fur  company,  he  establishing  trad- 
ing-posts at  various  places  along  the  river. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  Fort  Clark  was 
built  in  the  fall  of  1813,  abandoned  soon  after,  and 
never  occupied  by  troops  again.  No  white  person 
lived  in  Peoria  (then  called  Fort  Clark)  after  the 
troops  left  it  until  the  spring  of  1819.  The  gate  of 
the  fort  having  been  left  open  it  became  a  lair  for 
deer,  and  a  roost  for  wild  turkeys.  In  the  fall  of 
1816  a  party  of  hunters  from  St.  Clair  county  came 
to  Fort  Clark  and  'found  about  twenty  deer  in  the 
fort,  and  the  floors  of  the  block-houses  covered  with 
manure.  The  hunters  cleaned  out  this  building,  and 
occupied  it  as  a  residence  during  a  stay  of  ten  days 
while  hunting  deer  and  collecting  honey  in  the 


BURNING    OF    FORT    CLARK.  301 

river  timber.     Fort  Clark   stood  unmolested    until 
the  fall  of  1818,  when  it  was  burned  by  the  Indians. 

The  following  account  of  the  burning  of  Fort 
Clark  is  taken  from  the  statements  of  Colonel  Gur- 
don  S.  Hubbard,  now  a  resident  of  Chicago: 

In  the  fall  of  1818  Antoine  Des  Champs,  general 
agent  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  accompanied 
by  a  number  of  persons,  were  on  their  way  to  St. 
Louis  with  two  boats  loaded  with  furs.  On  corning 
around  a  point  in  the  lake  they  discovered  Fort  Clark 
on  fire,  and  near  it  were  about  two  hundred  In- 
dians engaged  in  a  war  dance.  The  warriors,  almost 
naked,  hideously  painted,  as  they  went  through 
the  dance  yelled  like  demons.  They  had  a  large 
number  of  scalps  hanging  to  their  belts,  and  in  one 
part  of  the  dance  these  were  placed  on  the  ends  of 
spears  and  held  above  their  heads,  after  which  they 
went  through  the  motions  of  taking  them  from  the 
heads  of  the  victims.  Des  Champs  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  many  of  the  Indians,  and  went  among 
them  engaged  in  conversation,  leaving  the  boats 
guarded  by  one  of  his  men  and  Mr.  Hubbard,  who 
at  that  time  was  a  boy  of  sixteen  years  of  age.  The 
Indians  inquired  of  Des  Champs  about  this  boy, 
who  in  reply  said  that  he  was  his  adopted  son  from 
Montreal,  but  they  did  not  credit  this  statement,  say- 
ing he  looked  like  an  American,  and  regarded  him 


302  PIONEERS    OF    ILLINOIS. 

with  suspicion.  An  Indian  took  a  scalp  from  his 
belt,  and  held  it  near  Hubbard's  face,  saying  to  him 
that  it  was  taken  from  the  head  of  his  countryman. 
Young  Hubbard  became  very  much  frightened,  but 
when  the  Indian  urinated  on  the  scalp,  and  with  it 
sprinkled  his  face,  all  fear  vanished,  and  picking  up 
a  gun  which  lay  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat  fired  at 
the  Indian,  bat  the  man  in  charge  of  the  boat  threw 
up  the  muzzle  as  it  went  oft0,  thereby  saving  the  In- 
dian's life.  This  affair  created  great  excitement, 

V 

and  Des  Champs  fearing  trouble  bade  his  Indian 
friends  good-by,  went  aboard  of  the  boats,  and  con- 
tinued on  his  way  down  the  river. 

Although  the  block-houses  and  part  of  the  stock- 
ades of  Fort  Clark  were  burned,  as  above  stated,  a> 
portion  of  the  latter  stood  for  many  years  after.  In 
the  spring  of  1819  a  party  of  the  emigrants  from 
Clinton  county,  among  whom  were  Captain  Abner 
Eads,  Isaac  and  Josiah  Fuhlton  and  J.  Hersey,  came 
to  Fort  Clark,  and  from  that  time  dates  the  American 
settlement  here.  These  emigrants  pitched  their 
tents  against  the  stockades  of  the  old  fort,  and  for 
years  the  inclosure  within  the  pickets  was  used  for 
penning  cattle.  During  the  Black  Hawk  war,  in 
1832,  the  old  fort  was  repaired,  new  pickets  put  in 
place  of  burned  ones,  and  intended  as  a  place  of  pro- 
tection from  an  attack  of  Indians. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


American  Bottom                                    -  -        183 

American  Pioneers  of  Illinois           -  -     206 

Antiquities  of  Illinois  17 

Aztalan  the  ruined  city     -  -     197 

A  scene  of  horror  -  75 

Besiegers  and  besieged     -  -        -     155 

Bourassa,  Colonel  Joseph  N.  cited  160 

Brady's  Tom  wild  adventure    -  -     119 

Baptiste  Jean  and  Father  Bonner-  212 

Baldwin  Elmer  cited  -     201-202 

Black  Partridge,  a  noted  Indian  chief  -  242 

Saves  the  life  of  Mrs.  Helm  -  -     245 

Destruction  of  his  village  251 

In  defense  of  his  country       -  -     280 

Besson'.s  Mrs.  narrative  257 

Bruce  Elijah  a  vagabond  -     239 

Bucher's  Father  Jacques  manuscript     -  -         117 

Buffalo  disappearance  of  -  -             209 

Burning  of  Peoria  -         265 

Chicago,  early  history  of  -     210 

Chassagoac,  an  Indian  chief  101 

Clark,  Colonel  G.  R.  conquest  of  Illinois  -     127 
Cross  raised  on  the  bank  of  Chicago  River  -           38 

Chartres  Fort    -  -     180 

Cahokia                  -  186 

Chauteau  Auguste  and  Pierre  mentioned  -     202 

Costumes  and  manners  of  the  French  -         222 


304  GENERAL    INDEX. 

Council  at  Cahokia  -  -    234 

Craig's  Captain  attack  on  Peoria  264 

De  Beuro  Pierre  an  Indian  trader  -                 -     229 

Domestic  animals  left  by  the  captives  -  273 

Davenport,  Colonel  George     -  -     282 
Descendants  of  French  settlers  at  Peoria      -        293 

Des  Champs  Antoine  mentioned  -                 -     301 

English  and  French  relation  with  Indians     -        205 
Edwards  Governor  Ninian  mentioned       -        -     237 

Fort  Creve-Cceur  57 

Fort  St.  Louis  building  of  -       83 

Attacked  by  Iroquois  87 

Burned  -  -      99 

Relics  of    -  173 

French  settlement  at      -  -     104 

Fox  River  the  ruined  fort  of  201 

French  inhabitants  of  Peoria    -  -    222 

French  land  claims       -  226 

False  report  circulated     -  -     239 

French  at  Peoria  -  262 

Fort  Clark,  building  of     -  -                 -     284 

Burning  of                            -  299 

Ghastly  spectacle     -  -                 -     163 

Gold,  searching  for        -  168 

Goodell  Dr.  J.   H.  referred  to  -     201 

Gabriel,  Father  death  of      -  73 

History,  errors  of     -  -     173 

Hitt,  Colonel  D.  F.  cited      -  173-176-201 

Helm,  Lieutenant  ransomed     -  -     254 

Heald  Captain  mentioned     -  255 

Howard's  General  expedition  -  -     279 
Hubbard  Colonel  G.  S.  cited          - 


GENERAL    INDEX.  305 

Illinois  topography  of  River  ...  22 

Early  French  settlement  of  -  112 

British  rule  of  ...  117 

Early  government  of  207 

Indians  Illinoisans  -  24 

Massacre  of  25 

Iroquois  raid  of  26 

Tribes  in  Illinois  territory  -  193 

Drepredations  of  -  ...  232 

Council  on  Bureau  ...  247 

Trade  with  -  ....  85 

Joliet  Louis  mentioned                  ...  30 

Jennette  Medore,  a  fur  trader          ...  202 

Kennedy  Pat  searching  for  copper        -  125 

Kaskaskia                                                    -        -  187 

Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia  Indians   -  189 

Kinzie  John  mentioned    -                  ...  244 

La  Vantum  or  great  Illinois  town                  -  47 

Yoyageurs  at  34 

French  at    -  62 

La  Pance  Felix  cited                                            -  49 

La  Salle  and  friends  western  bound      -  53 

In  an  Indian  camp  59 

Success,  failure  and  death  -  86 

Le  Fort  des  Miamis  93 

Louisiana  colony  -                                   -  102 

Le  Rocher                                                             -  171 

La  ville  de  Maillet  218 

Lee  Charles  noticed                                              -  258 

Marquette  Jacques  28 

Death  of                                                       -  43 

Resurrecting  his  bones       -  45 

Mammoth  and  Mastodon                                     -  20 

Massac  Fort  of 20 


306  GENERAL    INDEX. 

Marseilles,  ancient  fortification  at    -        -        -     199 

Mississippi  River,  discovery  of    -  30 

Mission  of  Immaculate  Conception  -  40 

Monks  of  La  Trappe    -  194 

Old  fort  near  Starved  Rock      -  -     195 

Peoria  Lake  of      -  56 

Burning  of 

Indians       -  191 

Pilette  Captain  Richard  mentioned  -  -       93 

Hypolite  mentioned    - 

Pontiac  -     137 

Assassinated       -                          -  147" 

Prairie  du  Rocher     -  -     185 

Porter  James  mentioned       -  297 

Relics  of  French  and  Indians  -  -     174 

Relics  of  a  tragedy  166 

Rock  of  refuge  -     142 

Retribution  unjust  249 
Robinson  Lieutenant  in  search  of  the  enemy   -     288 

St.  Louis,  early  settlement  of 
St.  Joseph  expedition  against  - 
Starved  Rock 

Tecumseh  at  Peoria  -     231 

Emissaries  from  248 

Tidings  of  war  243 
Territory  of  Illinois  at  the  time  of  the  British 

war     -  243 

Treaty  of  peace  -     280 

Torturing  prisoners  72 

Tonti  de  Henri  -       70 

Return  of  his  victorious  army    -  90 

Death  of  -       96 

"Wolsey's  Amanda  captivity  276 


,  I 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


977.3M429P  C002 

PIONEERS  OF  ILLINOIS,  CONTAINING  A  SERIE 


30112025381655 


